Disgaea: Aku no Tsubasa
by Kyuuseishu Setsuna
Summary: Episode 12: The knot has been severed. Yuki's appearance caused Laharl to distrust Flonne, leaving her in despair. Will the knot that unifies the Netherworld and Celestia ever be repaired? Note: Episodes 1 to 12 are being revised.
1. Enter Duo of Beauty and Darkness!

**Author's notes:** Welcome everyone to Kyuuseishu Setsuna's (formerly burnfist23) first Disgaea fic. There really isn't much to say here, but I hope you enjoy it. Please excuse my lack Nippon Ichi-style humor. Other than that, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. It is owned by Nippon Ichi Software and it's associated parties. I have ownership over the names of the soldiers/vassals and Kirei and her character design, but not the characters themselves.

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_Four years ago, the reign of the great Overlord Krichevskoy came abruptly to an end_

_For two years, demons have fought for the position of Overlord until one day the late king's demon son, Laharl gained control _

_With Krichevskoy's most trusted vassal Etna and the Angel Trainee from Celestia Flonne, Laharl destroyed his opposition and became the new Overlord of the Netherworld  
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_However, as news of Flonne's influence in the Netherworld spread throughout Celestia, an archangel sought to destroy her  
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_As the battle raged on between the Archangel and the Angel Trainee, a shadow watched as the beginning of his plan came together_

_"It is only a matter of time..." Was all that was said before he disappeared, leaving a lone rose in his trace  
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_Two years later... _

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****Episode 1:** **Duo of Beauty and Darkness Make Their Grand Entrance!**

It was morning in the Netherworld, although no one really cared since there was no sun or much light to begin with. Much of the Netherworld was dark; then again, most demons like the dark, so it really didn't matter. Within the Netherworld was one massive structure that stood out from the rest; a castle consisting of crooked towers surrounded by a lava moat: the Overlord's Castle. It is within the confines of this demonic structure that our story begins...

Noise vibrated through the halls of the castle, awakening many of it sleepy inhabitants. Of the demons who arose from their slumber by this noise was a young Fallen Angel by the name of Flonne, a former Angel Trainee who once worked for Celestia. She had long flowing golden blonde hair and was decorated with a red ribbon on top. She wore a red leotard with a silky white robe and, like most humanoid demons, had little red demon wings and a demonic tail. She traced the noise to the place where all things in the Castle _somehow_ occurs, whether it's a battle, a meeting, or washing laundry: the throne room. There, four demons were battling each other two-on-two.

"This is stupid, Etna! Why do I have to learn about this friggin' teamwork crap?!" The young yet powerful Overlord Laharl groaned as he barely dodged the spear of his vassal. The 1300 year old Overlord was not very tall, but his crimson blaze within his eyes was the only thing that could reveal the enormous power within his small body. His attire consisted of simple shorts and a long flowing crimson cape. What truly set him apart from everyone else was his hair style, which was blue and topped with slick antenna stands. He was also, unfortunately, known for his big ego and attitude problem, which often got him into many arguments and fights, especially with his top vassal.

"Geez Prince, acting less like a brat and more like an Overlord!" His annoyed vassal Etna demanded with her hands on her hips. "And for your information it's not _teamwork crap_! It's knowing how to make full use of your vassals!" The red haired demon girl with the revealing outfit was Laharl's main vassal, who once served under his father King Krichevskoy. Etna, though normally carefree and incredibly devious, was serious when it came to raising Laharl to become a great Overlord like the late King. Unfortunately, this lead to many bouts between her "master" and herself.

"And why don't you start acting more like my vassal?! I'm supposed to be giving the orders, not you!" In a fit of anger, Laharl stomped his feet as his skin began show a tint of angry red. As Laharl continued his tirade, the young Fallen Angel scooted over to the annoyed vassal. After all, this "exercise" has become increasingly unbearable since Etna initiated it.

"I see you're training Laharl-san again..."

"Yeah, and once again he doesn't listen..."

Flonne sighed, remembering one time when Laharl came to accept teamwork. Now after returning from Celestia, Laharl was the same person she smacked two years ago. Not exactly much of a progress. "What a disappointment. I thought he'd learn by now..."

Etna sighed. Even if she could disguise the word, "learning how to use the full potential of his army " translated to "teamwork crap" in Laharl's mind. There was no choice but to force him to accept that he can't always win on his own, using whatever means necessary as was Etna's policy. "Don't you understand? You can't just fight off all your enemies on your own. There is no demon out there who can fight every battle without backup."

"Oh really? Then perhaps I'll be the first!" Laharl charged at Etna with his sword, ready to bring an end to this useless exercise. "What the–?!" Unfortunately, the only thing that ended was his charge. His sword suddenly disappeared before he could bring it down on Etna. Instead of Etna being pulverized, Etna dodged Laharl's charge, causing him to stumble, and gave Laharl a swift kick, causing him to tumble a few feet from his throne.

Beside Etna was Laharl's crafty little rogue Kaitou happily clutching Laharl's sword in his hands. "Shazam!"

"I guess getting you attacked by that mob of low class demons two years ago didn't exactly make you learn..." Etna sighed, remembering the time she had Laharl get his ass kicked in Tutorial Fields. "Now I'm not the type of demon who spouts words like love, kindness, or teamwork over and over again." Etna, from the corner of her eye, quickly eyed Flonne, who was the exact demon she was describing. "But learning how to make use of your army is essential for every Overlord. Just look at yourself. You're paired up with your best warrior Steilhang and yet you barely even me or your weakest vassal!"

Kaitou's body began to twitch, as Etna's scolding sounded more like rock to his head. "W-weak..."

"Yes, you're weak, and you also lack the abilities and cunning of others." Kakashi, Laharl's ninja, bluntly told the already insulted thief. On top of the rock, that insult felt like a dagger.

"Let's not forget that you can't use your weapons very well. You're good at stealing many weapons, yet you can barely wield a wield a sword." Motoko, Laharl's ronin, threw her own insult at the already embarassed thief, which felt like her own clean blade.

"Your voice is annoying, you're out of shape, you can't get a girlfriend, you can steal kisses, which is very creepy..." Naruto, Laharl's scout, added more insults to the already insulted thief.

"Oh shut up!"

While the two gun totting vassals argued, Steilhang helped Laharl up. When Laharl was finally back on his own two feet, the humble male warrior kneeled before his master and bowed his head. He was perhaps the only vassal who truly respected the current Overlord. "Forgive me, Laharl-sama. I was unable to keep up with you."

Steilhang's respect toward Laharl was a little embarassing. It was a rare sight for the Overlord, whose other vassals either lounged around the castle, plotted to play practical jokes, or even attempted assassinations. "Don't apologize! Our opponent just happened to be the most conniving demon in the Netherworld!"

"Why thank you, Prince! I didn't know you cared!"

"That wasn't a compliment!" Laharl then turned his attention back on his humble warrior. "Anyway, we can easily beat Etna. We just need more power. You need...a new sword!" Steilhang was tilted his head as a small question mark popped up above his head. Laharl explained his reasoning further. "Of course! You were beaten because your sword is too heavy! I bet we can get you a stronger faster weapon at Rosenqueen! Once we have that, we can kick the crap out of Etna and kiss this teamwork crap goodbye!"

"Laharl-san, you don't need to resort to this! If you use the power of teamwork you can beat any adversary!"

"Who needs teamwork? My power is more than enough to defeat anything and everything there is!" As he turned to the halls, Laharl began to chuckle. "Hmhmhm..." That sinister chuckle was gradually getting louder. "Hmmhmhmhm..." Soon... "HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Overlord's signature evil laughter roared through the halls of his castle as he arrogantly strode toward the Rosenqueen shop.

Both Etna and Flonne sighed. "He just doesn't get it, does he?" The idea of working together with his vassals will never pierce Laharl's skull.

Conveniently located in the lobby was the Rosenqueen Item Shop, the place where crafty demons try to make a HL (or at least several million) with their stock of weapons, armor, and other odd things. At the moment, there were numerous demons congregating around the counter. Laharl, however, did not even bother with their complaints and simply shoved past the other customers. "Move aside, you lowly demons! Your great Overlord is here, so don't even think of getting in my way!"

"Oh brother..." Large sweat drops appeared on Etna and Flonne's forehead as the arrogant Overlord simply pushed past the crowd.

Finally at the counter, Laharl began to speak to the shopkeeper. "Get me the finest sword you've got and don't you dare try to scam me! You guys are pretty lucky that I would actually spend my HL here, so don't try and piss me off."

"Sorry Overlord. We don't have any swords today."

Obviously, this wasn't exactly the best answer to give Laharl. Within seconds, Laharl's arrogance faded and was replaced with a fiery rage. "WHAT?! ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU'RE ALL OUT OF SWORDS?!"

However, in spite of the angry Overlord in front him, the shopkeeper continued with his sarcastic tone. "Yup! And we've got no armor, no desserts, no ABC gum...heck, we don't have anything."

"Is this a joke?!"

"No, but I can turn it into one. Knock knock?" This was all Laharl could take. He was defeated by his vassal and incredibly weak thief, and instead of getting a sword that would help him beat them, he has to deal with the fact that the only thing in his Castle's Rosenqueen shop was the annoyingly sarcastic shopkeeper. The little patience he had was already gone.

"I OUGHTA KNOCK YOU, YOU SHOPKEEPER! I CAME HERE TO BUY A SWORD AND INSTEAD I GET ALL THIS SHIT FROM YOU AND..." What came after this was too inchorrent, not very family friendly, and pretty funny at the same time. Laharl, no longer having any control over his anger, began shouting random expletives, causing some demons to back away out of fear, though other demons simply stared at the Overlord pitifully.

Knowing that Laharl's rant wasn't going anywhere, not to mention that she was curious about this odd situation, Flonne, the ever cheerful angel, went up to the counter and asked the shopkeeper, "Um...is there any reason why you can't get any of the items in?"

"Well, the weird thing is that there our warehouse is currently blocked off by some weird magic." The shopkeeper replied with his hand cupping his chin. "We tried to break through it, but we're not exactly fighters y'know."

Laharl, despite his constant tirade, was able to hear the shopkeeper. Now that he was over his fit, he turned his attention back to the smart ass demon. "And you want us to go over and break the barrier, don't you?"

"Of course. It works out for the both of us in the end. I get my items and you feed your damn ego."

"'Feed my damn ego?' Why you..."

Before things could get any messier, Flonne stepped in for the shopkeeper and said, "Laharl-san, I think he meant showing the Netherworld and whoever put up the barrier that you're the Overlord and have to be respected."

_'Showing that I'm the Overlord?' _It took only a few seconds for Flonne's words to sink in, and when they finally did, his sharp teeth became visible to all as he grinned deviously. A deep chuckle escaped his mouth as his arrogance returned. "Hmhmhm...so this worthless demon wants to test me, does he? Well that demon had better watch it for the great Overlord Laharl shows no mercy! I'll trash that fool to pieces! HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Yeah yeah. Just don't expect a discount if you succeed..."

Soon, all of Laharl's vassals were standing before the Rosenqueen warehouse, where all the manufactured and uncovered weapons were held. They could easily sense some kind of magical barrier was preventing all intruders from entering.

"I'll charge be the first one to enter." Laharl told them. "After all, I think I can handle this one all by myself." Everyone did an anime face plant. "Of course I may need back up. So I want all my long range warriors to stay on higher ground. I'll trust you with them, Flonne." Flonne nodded. "Now as for my close range people, stay hidden until I give the signal. Alright, here I come, you fool! This what you get for crossing the Overlord!" Laharl ran toward the warehouse. Despite the barrier there, Laharl was able to run right through it.

"Should we go in with him?" Aramis, the zombie tamer, asked Etna.

"Yeah. You know he's gonna need our help." And so, all of Laharl's close range fighter charged in...only to bounce off the barrier. "What the--!" Soon, more demons appeared onto the field and attack Laharl's vassals.

Meanwhile, Laharl surveyed his surroundings, but it was too dark to see much. There was a very small dim light, but that was it. Suddenly, a chill rushed up Laharl's spine. There was obviously someone in here. He had to know who it was.

"Who's there?" He shouted into the darkness. "Answer me!"

"How rude of you to enter someone else's place and ask 'who's there'?" That's when Laharl's eyes shot wide open. That voice. _It couldn't be... _"But it is young Overlord! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Standing before the Overlord was an older, yet sassy demon. Purple hair and crimson eyes--demon Laharl despised had returned. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Surprised Overlord? Oui, I have returned from the shadows. The aristocrat of strength and beauty, Vyers, the—"

"What the hell are you doing here, old man?"

"Uh...what are you talking about?"

"DON'T LIE TO ME! YOU SAID IT YOURSELF! YOU'RE MY OLD MAN, KING KRICHEVSKOY!"

"Ah yes...King Krichevskoy, the greatest Overlord of all time. I don't know why you have mistaken moi for him. After all, I'm more beautiful than Krichevskoy, no?"

"THEN WHAT WAS ALL THAT CRAP YOU SPOUTED OUT! HOW COME YOU SUDDENLY TOLD ME TO BE A 'Maginficent Overlord'?"

Vyer paused for a minute, trying to remind himself about what said. When he finally remembered... "Hm...oh yeah! My rival needs to be a great Overlord if moi wants a great challenge."

Laharl had enough. He decided to go along with the fact that Vyers was not Krichevskoy. "Alright, so what the hell are you doing here...Mid Boss?"

Mid Boss gritted his teeth as he heard that dreaded name. It was the one name he despised ever since Laharl gave it too him. "Why must address moi as 'Mid Boss'? I am Vyer, the Dark Adonis!"

"Because I said so. I'm the Overlord, so your name from now on is Mid Boss." Then Laharl drew his sword. "Now I have no idea why a loser like you is back, but I'm here to take back my warehouse and I'll kill you if I have to get it back!" Soon, Laharl started summoning his powers. Flames covered his entire body. Then he charged full speed at Mid Boss with a fiery punch. "Blazing Knuckles!" Just as he was about to reach Mid Boss, an ice wall appeared before him. Laharl couldn't stop, and ended up crashing into. "What the--!"

Another voice echoed throughout the warehouse. "So you must be the great Overlord, Laharl? It seems you're not to bright if you like running into walls!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!" Laharl turned to Mid Boss, and standing right next to him was a browned haired woman with a white jacket.

"Ah, moi almost forgot!" Mid Boss said. "This is my friend, Kirei. And the two of us are the duo of beauty and darkness!" The two posed and beams of light appeared behind them.

"This is so dumb..." Laharl now how to do deal with not one, but two sassy demons.

Meanwhile, Laharl's army were fighting off floods of various demons. Attacks from above helped ease the crowds of demons and the demons themselves didn't seem so weak, allowing all the close-range warriors to take them out. Still, what puzzled them was why all these demons were coming at them, and they couldn't go in with Laharl.

Finally, Flonne came down from the ledges and approached Etna. "Where's Laharl-san? I thought you were going to fall him into the warehouse!"

"We were!" Etna replied back as she stabbed another demon. "But this weird force field won't let us in!"

"Oh no! That means Laharl-san must be in trouble!"

"Well I'd guess so..."

"We have go in and help him!" Willing to aid her Overlord, Flonne rushed into the warehouse...not realizing the barrier in her way...

"Flonne-chan, you ditz! There's a barrier over there! You can't reach him!"

"Overlord's Wrath!" Laharl shouted as he summoned his fiery powers again. Balls of fire surrounded both Mid-Boss and Kirei, yet the two felt confident despite the powerful attack that was to be unleashed on them. "This is what you get when you cross the Overlord. Now go and BITE THE DUST!" Laharl finally let the fireballs rain hell on the duo.

"Magic Barrier!" Kirei raised her fist, and suddenly a large barrier surrounded the two and deflected every single fireball. Now those same fireballs were headed straight for Laharl.

"That's not all! Adonic Blast!" Soon, Laharl was engulfed in both crimson flames and purple energy blasts. He knew that without any back up, there was no way to defeat them. "I'm quite disappointed, Overlord. You mock how weak moi is and now you can hardly defeat the both of us!"

"SHUT UP!" Laharl yelled as he tried to get up. He continued to clutch his sword, ready to fight despite his injuries. "I'm just getting started!"

"Face it, Overlord." Kirei interjected. "Without anyone to help you, you won't last long against us. You're gonna need some teamwork to defeat us!"

"Geez...now you guys are talking about friggin teamwork!" Laharl started summoning his powers, trying to cast Overlord's Wrath. "I don't need it! I can defeat on my own!" Soon, the fireballs started coming up again. Just as he was about to send the fireballs at the two again...

"KAMI-SAMA, GIVE LAHARL-SAN STRENGTH!" ...blue and red lights engulfed Laharl. Laharl started to feel even stronger than before. Then, his crimson fireballs started getting larger, growing in size and power. As soon as the power reached it's peak, Laharl opened fire on the duo.

"OVERLORD'S WRATH!" This time when Kirei summoned her barrier, she couldn't deflect the attack. It was just too strong. All the two could do was take the attack.

Laharl looked at the chaos his attack caused. He started chuckle, which soon became his trademark laugh. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! DO YOU STILL THINK I'M WEAK ON MY OWN!"

"Heh...you still think you could defeat us on your own, Overlord?"

"Give it up, loser! I didn't need anyone to defeat worthless pieces of trash like you!" Laharl started to chuckle again, when...

"LAHARL-SAN!" A concerned voice rang out. It seemed like Laharl wasn't the only one in this fight after all.

Mid-Boss started to chuckle as he finally got on his feet. "Oh really?"

"Are you alright, Laharl-san!" Laharl turned around. There she was, the one who helped him gain enough power to defeat the two sassy demons.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, FLONNE!"

"Isn't obvious? I wanted to help you!" Flonne replied.

"I didn't need your help!"

"Oh really? Who do you think made your Overlord's Wrath strong enough to destroy that barrier?" Flonne asked him. That's when Laharl remembered: Red and blue energy consumed Laharl and made his attack stronger. Red often represents the powers of a demon and blue for an angel. However, only one life form could create both at the same time: a fallen Angel. That's when Laharl realized the truth... "That's right Laharl-san! I used the power of my love to power up your attack!

Soon, a slight blush covered Laharl face as he exclaimed, "JUST BECAUSE YOU GAVE ME POWER DOESN'T MEAN IT COMES FROM LOVE, GOT IT! But, thanks...I guess..." He then turned to Mid-Boss. "Now let's finish this!" But when they turned to Mid-Boss, both he and Kirei were missing.

"We must continue this later..." Laharl and Flonne looked up. Mid-Boss was carrying Kirei in his arms. "It seems that...well...my partner has a fever so...au revoir Overlord...and the beautiful mademoiselle! I'll back to settle this, so don't forget moi, THE DARK ADONIS!" And so, the two disappeared.

"YOUR NAME IS MID-BOSS!" Laharl groaned, disappointed that he couldn't finish the battle. "Damn it, that coward's excuses..."

"Don't worry, Laharl-san. FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP BROUGHT US TO VICTORY TODAY!"

Unfortunately, 'Love' and 'Friendship' didn't reassure Laharl. Obviously, they haven't seen the last of the Duo of Love and Beauty.

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Next episode:**

**Etna:** Just when you thought she was gone, the Queen of All Demons returns for the sequel!

**Laharl:** Not this again!

**Etna:** The powerful yet downright sexy Beauty Queen is here to stay and will be facing her greatest challenge ever: Not only has the late Prince returned from the dead, but he's being whipped the evil Love Freak!

**Flonne: **But I wouldn't do that to—did you just call me evil?

**Etna:** With the two working together, our queen must prepare herself for this horriffic onslaught. Will she survive?

**Laharl:** I hope not...

**Flonne:** I'm not evil...

**Etna:** Next time on **Dimensional Queen Etna: Reload "Freaks of Evil and Love!"** With my Sexy Beam, I will protect the Netherworld at any cost!

**Flonne:** Evil...

**Laharl:** Flonne, just give it up...

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**Edited on March, 2007: **I know it's been awhile, but I do plan on finishing this fic. In the meantime, I'm just going to edit and expand on the current 12 chapters. Here's what has been changed for those who aren't aware: 

**-**Changed my author's notes to sound less lame. Will be shortening the later author's notes, and will remove any useless comments I make.

**-**Changed the small prologue/opening so that it doesn't sound like I'm listing events from the first game. I especially tried to make it sound more like Disgaea's prologue.

**-**Changed Etna's dialogue so it sounds less like she's preaching teamwork and more like she's getting Laharl to learn how to use his army properly. After all, we know Etna would never preach about teamwork.

**-**Changed the names of some of my soldiers and will be giving them a little more character. If you didn't notice, the shopkeeper is now less timid and more sarcastic.

**-**Changing Laharl's dialogue so he sounds more like Laharl and less like Overlord Zetta. While they are very similar, there is a bit of a difference as the two carry themselves differently (In my opinion at least, Zetta is a lot more arrogant)

Expect more changes in later chapters.


	2. Strengthening the 'Knot'

**Author's notes**: I hope you all liked the first chapter of Disgaea: Tsubasa no Aku. If you were all wondering what 'Tsubasa no Aku' means, it's japanese for 'Wings of Evil'. It was hard coming up with a title so I chose that one. I'm sorry if that first chapter was too short, but I've been writing the Disgaea fic during my free periods in school, which usually don't give me enough time to think. Also, I have other fics that I've been working on for a very long time (click on my pen name and get ready to laugh at what I've been writing for the past two years). Seriously, I like that anime. Anyway I should get on with the fic.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Disgaea.

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**Episode 2: **Strengthing the 'Knot' (la la la!) 

Celestia, a place where the beings known as angels live. A tranquil paradise of flowers, fountains, and anything that's pretty. The current leader of this world, Seraph Lamington, was secretly locked in his room...making a card tower. With Archangel Vulcanus out of the picture, the Seraph had more free time on his hands. He no longer had to worry about Vulcanus' frequent spazing periods, which often occured when he was busy doing something fun. Hey, the man looks bored all the time, he needed something to do, doesn't he. Well little did he know...

"Still playing cards, are we Seraph Lamington?"

Seraph Lamington jumped, a bit surprised that someone else was in the room. Unfortunately, the big card tower had crumbled into a pile of cards. "Geez...now you messed it up...Krichevskoy..."

Soon, both Mid Boss and Kirei stepped out of the shadows and into the light. "Sorry, Seraph." Mid Boss said apologetically.

Lamington sighed and replied, "If you're going to scare me like that, try it when I'm not enjoying my 'me' time." Lamington then turned his attention to Kirei. "So, the afterlife guides gave you a special resurrection, right Rayne, or is it Kirei now?"

Kirei nodded. "Both me and my husband. However, we're starting at minimal power."

"I see." Lamington replied. "So why have the two of you returned?"

"To check on our little 'knot' of course!"

"Ah yes, Laharl and Flonne." Lamington paused for a minute to remember all that happened. "It's been two years, and yet the two haven't progressed much..."

"I wouldn't expect them to." Mid Boss, or rather Krichevskoy, replied. "If I know my son, Laharl will be too stubborn to change. We have already told them about their importance to the unification of Celestia and the Netherworld, there is no need to rush it any further."

"He's right. There will always be a part of Laharl that will reject love." Kirei added. "We must be patient. The influence of Flonne, Etna, and everyone else will surely, but slowly, change Laharl and bring everyone together."

Lamington sighed. "To think, a demon and a human could have more faith than an angel. What is the universe coming to?"

Mid Boss chuckled a bit, but then turned serious. "But there is another reason why we've returned."

"And what reason is that?"

"A feeling of prejiduce. Something here is trying...to ruin our knot..."

It was early morning in the Netherworld, though no one could tell. The Netherworld always looked the same, with difference being that the moon appeared during the night.

Flonne, unlike most of the demons in the morning, was wide awake and ready for the day. She came out of the Overlord's Castle, surveying her surroundings. The Netherworld, to her it was a fun place where anything could happen. A place that needed something which Flonne, as a former angel, had: love. But she missed Celestia so much. After all, flowers were always in full bloom, and the Seraph would always let her gaze at them. Now she was residing at a place full of fire, brimstone, and awkwardly shaped structures. The only things one could consider beautiful in this world were the falling snow and the glowing moon, that often turns red when Prinnies were to be reborn.

Flonne sighed. "I wish the Netherworld had flowers...the kind that are so simple yet so pretty..."

"You must be pretty lonely then, to be banished from Celestia?"

Flonne shrieked. There seemed to be another demon around here. _Is it a gargoyle, a pirate, or maybe it's a pirate gargoyle? Wait, are there such things as pirate gargoyles?_ Well never mind about that. There was someone here, and Flonne was afraid to see who it was. _Is it a stalker? Maybe an angel hater? Or maybe a Stalking Angel Hater?_ Okay maybe we should stop looking into Flonne's thoughts. Flonne decided to use a techinque she used for those who snuck up on her. A technique she used on Laharl the first time she gazed her eyes on him. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" And that's whacking the crap out of her 'stalker'. After a bit of nonsensical violence, Flonne decided to actually look at her stalker before continuing her mind-numbing assault.

"Calm down, I'm not gonna rape you or anything. (well that's reassuring...)" Her stalker chuckled. He had fiery red spiky hair, dark tanned skin, and blue eyes. There was a scar near his eye. Despite those usually scary traits, he had a very colorful attire, with large sleeves that was almost the length of his body. What was really peculiar was his wings: they had feathers, and those feathers were...white? "I'm sorry if upset you in anyway."

Flonne was pretty speechless at this point. Heck anybody would be if they almost killed a nice guy. The best approach was for her to bow and apologize, which she did. "I'm sorry, you just kinda startled me..."

"It's alright. I guess I deserved it." The boy looked at his surroundings. "Any angel would be startled in a place like this...it's no wonder you hit me like that." The boy chuckled before continuing. "So, do you feel lonely living here, Flonne?"

"How do you know my name?" Flonne asked him.

"Let's say I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time..."

"Eh?"

"Oh nothing."

Flonne thought about what he said. Finally, she said, "I do miss Celestia. I wish I could return...but...if I were to go back to Celestia, I would be leaving all my friends."

"Demon friends? That sounds kinda strange coming from an angel."

"Fallen angel actually."

"I see." The boy started to get up. "If you feel depressed, you can talk to me." Soon the wind started to pick up.

"Wait! What's your name?"

The boy turned to Flonne and, before leaving, said, "My name is Yuki..."

_Yuki...the way he dresses...and those wings...is he...an angel...?_

Flonne was soon knocked out of her thought process by the sound of an explosion coming from the Throne Room. She ran over there. Once again, Etna was engaging Laharl in order to teach him about teamwork. Even now, Laharl was still failing to use teamwork.

"Prince! You're not even trying!" Etna whined.

"I told you already!!! I don't need teamwork!!!!" Laharl, still defiant, shouted back.

Etna sighed again. "And I thought you would learn by now. After all, you were able to defeat Krichevskoy together with Flonne."

"He already told me. That fool, Mid Boss, is NOT my old m—" That's when Laharl's eye widened. His mind rewinded that last sentence. Finally, he exploded. "WHO THE HELL TOLD YOU THAT FLONNE WAS FIGHTING WITH ME!?!"

"Oh so you and Flonne were working together!" Etna teased.

Laharl had enough of this. "THAT'S IT!!!! I'M GONNA GO AND TOSS SOME PRINNIES!!! THAT MIGHT MAKE ME FEEL BETT ER!!!" Laharl stormed out of the room, in a fiery rage, leaving all in disbelief.

"You can all come out now." Trinity, the little mage, called out. Soon all the Prinnies came out tumbling over. Obviously, they were trying to hide from Laharl.

"Dood..."

"Hey Kurtis, you can come out too?" Aramis called out.

Soon, the little green prinny, formely a scientist, appeared. "Geez...Laharl should get a new hobby or something."

"You know, Etna," Flonne started. "You shouldn't have mentioned that to Laharl-san."

"Well he did fight Mid Boss with you, didn't he?"

"Well...we did beat him together but...Oh! Would you look at that? Sorry Etna, but Hazuki (archer), Trinity, and Sara (Female Warrior) wanted me to come with them to mall."

"Yeah yeah. Go ahead and make excuses, but don't think I'm on to you and the Prince." Etna teased.

"ETNA-SAN!!!!"

"Whatever, just go already!" Flonne left for the dimensional portal. As she left, a large grin appeared on Etna's face. Uh oh...this wasn't good. "Time to call together all the vassals..." Oh boy...she got plan alright.

That night, all the vassals met in the large room, connecting the throne room and the castle lobby. In the meeting were all of Laharl's warriors, Plenair the Dark Assembly receptionist, Aramis, Kurtis, and, of course, Etna.

"So you're wondering why I've brought you all here?" Etna started.

"Make this quick. I need sleep..." whinned Pailong, Laharl's fighter.

"So do the rest of us..." Raven, Laharl's female fighter, added.

"Yeah, it's bad enough that I have to see these two fighting all day..." Kakashi(ninja) said, pointing to Naruto(scout) and Hiroshi (Thief).

"SO YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STOLE MY PILLOW!!! YOU FRIGGIN THIEF!!!"

"WHO'S CALLING WHO A THIEF!!!! YOU STOLE MY HAT, YOU WORTHLESS SCOUT!!!!!"

Motoko(ronin) shook her head. "Never mind them. Why are we here?"

Etna cleared her throat. "Lately I've been noticing our two favorite demons getting a little...close."

"...who are our favorite demons?" Soon everyone's faces slammed to the floor after hearing Hazuki's question (archer).

"We are talking about Laharl and Flonne!!!!" Trinity scolded Hazuki. Hazuki eventually got the idea.

Etna sighed and then continued. "Anyway I have a plan to make them..." She saw a hand pop out of the crowd of demons. "Yes Steilhang?"

"If this plan is going to hurt Laharl-sama and Flonne-sama in any way then tell me now. I don't want a part in any of this." Steilhang, being the loyal warrior he is, would rather die than hurt Laharl in any way.

"I know what you're thinking, Steilhang," Etna replied. "But the purpose of my plan is to help him realize how much he needs teamwork. Seeing as he had been successful against Mid Boss with Flonne, I thought it would be better to pair him up with her. Besides, like I said, it seems that our favorite demons have become a little...closer." Then, the group started to hear a couple of chuckles, which later turned into a burst of laughter. This laughter came from three demons: Naruto, Hiroshi, and Bones (skull).

"HAHAHAHA!!!! You've gotta be kidding me!!!! Laharl and Flonne!!!!" Each of the three kept laughing and laughing until...

"Do as you wish..." Etna motioned for Motoko, Kakashi, Pailong, and Raven. Soon the laughter had disappeared, being replaced by an all out brawl.

"I'm still not sure about this, Etna-sama..." said Steilhang.

Soon, he felt someone nudging his back. It was Sara, Laharl's female warrior and Steilhang's partner. "Oh don't worry, Steilhang-san. They'll be alright. Besides, you do want Laharl-san to be stronger, right?"

"W-Well...I suppose so..."

"Then it's settled. Now we'd better get back to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow." Everyone soon turned in for the night, ready for their big plan to go into action.

"...damn...I must've slept with my sword...(doesn't sound right, does it?)" Laharl groaned from the pain he felt from his back. He then pushed his hand up to open the lid on his coffin bed. Strangely, all he felt was air. _I never sleep with the lid open. So...WHAT THE--!?!_ It was then that he found out that he was actually sleeping on a rocky floor. As he rubbed his eyes, he soon realized that he wasn't in his room. He was now in a place called Tortured Cavern, a secret portion of the Castle designed for emergencies such as Krichevskoy's bad days. A large network of tunnels and rooms that led from the room between the lobby and the throne room all the way to the Stellar Graveyard. _What's going on? Why am I out here? _He then looked around to see if anyone else was with him. It seemed that only person with him was...

"Hm...? Laharl-san, could you keep it down?"

"GET UP, LOVE FREAK!!!! WE'RE NOT EVEN IN THE CASTLE!!!"

"Eh? WHAT!?!" Flonne bolted up and tried looked around the place. "Where are we?"

"This is Tortured Cavern. A hidden maze below the Castle." Laharl replied.

"Hm. I wonder what we're doing here?"

"I don't know, but I know the way out. Just follow me and don't get lost."

"So Etna-san," Aramis began. "why are we doing this again?"

"So the Prince can see how important teamwork is. He was able to beat Mid Boss with Flonne, after all."

"Well he'd better learn how important it is soon." Kurtis said, as he pointed toward Plenair, trying to negotiate with a couple of senators. "Or else we'll be in big trouble."

"PLEASE!!! LAHARL-SAMA ISN'T IN AT THIS MOMENT!!! COME AGAIN LATER!!!" Plenair exclaimed as she pushed back the rioting Senators (damn, she must be strong if she can do that).

"Relax. Everything will be fine. Trust me."

Of course, Kurtis was still very doubtful. After all, who can trust Etna?

Meanwhile, Laharl and Flonne continued to tread through the treachous Tortured Cavern. It's been nearly an hour till Laharl recognized where they were going.

"The mark from my old man's eruption." Laharl noted as he examined the wall. "We must be getting close."

"ERUPTION!?!" Flonne exasperated, a bit overwhelmed by Laharl's last statement.

"Yeah, this place was hiding ground for when my old man would go beserk..."

Flonne was pretty much freaked at this point. _If that was King Krichevskoy was that eccentric...then what kind of catastrophe could Laharl-san unleash when he's older..._

"If you're done staring at me like that, then let's get moving!!!!" Soon the two began to move again, until they encountered a couple of familiar demons. "Hey, isn't that my magic and missile squad?"

Laharl's Magic and Missile squad consisted of Laharl's far range attackers: Naruto(scout), Hazuki(archer), Trinity(Mage), Bones(Skull), Sirius(Knight), and Shin(Male Cleric). Using magical power and high powered long range weapons, these guys will take down an entire palace.

"Hazuki!!! Trinity!!!" Flonne was overjoyed. After all, she glad her friends could come down to help her. "I'm so glad you're here, can you help us out of this cave?" ...or so she thought...cause at that moment Hazuki fired off her Poison Arrow. "Hazuki!!! What are you doing!?!"

"Totenkruez!!!!!!" Naruto pulled out his gun sent high powered blast toward Laharl, who luckily dodged in time.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL DOING!?! DO YOU REALIZE YOU'RE ATTACKING YOUR OVERLORD!?!" Laharl was really pissed this time. Not only did he end up sleeping on rocks with Flonne, but now half his squad was attacking him.

"Sorry Laharl," Naruto began. "but Etna wants us to beat you and Flonne. See it says right here!" Naruto held up his directions. "'Secret Plan for Teamwork: Beat the crap Laharl and Flonne until they decide to work together.' See, we're only following Etna's orders." After a few minutes of silence, the rest of the squad whacked Naruto all together. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?!"

"NARUTO YOU IDIOT!!!!" Hazuki scolded him. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO YELL OUT THE PLAN FOR LAHARL-SAN TO HEAR!!!!"

"Oh, so this entire thing was all Etna's plan to make me learn about teamwork? THAT FOOL!!!! ONCE I FIND HER, I'M GONNA RIP HER APART!!!!" Laharl took Flonne's hand. "C'mon Flonne,we're gonna go leave from Stellar Graveyard and then from there kick her ass!!!!"

"Um...Laharl-san...Manty, Dratti, and Gargo are blocking the path to Stellar Graveyard." Trinity said.

"Ooookay...the maybe I'll try entering from Prinny Land..."

"Sorry." Hazuki interjected. "Zommie and Ghoss are there."

"Shit. Then we'll just go to Joutenheim and..."

"Well that pretty much sucks for you." Naruto said. "You've got a whole line of singing succubbi and kitkats."

"Singing!?! I can understand the sexy bodies, but I'm not afraid of any song!!!!"

"Not unless it has the words...love and peace in it." Bones interjected.

"GAH!!! NO!!! NOTHING BUT THAT!!!!" Laharl has two weakness: sexy bodies and optimism. Although he has lately grown accustomed to it, he is still weakened by these two. What's even worse than platitudes and sexy women, are sexy women talking in platitudes.

"Besides, if you were to escape somehow, Etna can simply post that embarassing picture that we're not allowed to mention." Sirius warned him. "She still has the negatives you know."

Shin sighed. "Looks like you're screwed Laharl."

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S SCREWED!!!!" Laharl charged toward his vassals...only to be shot and fried by his own squads onslaught.

"Laharl-san, are you alright!?!"

"Of course I'm not alright!!!! All my vassals have turned on me!!!!" Laharl exasperated.

"C'mon, let's retreat for now!!! I'll heal you later!!!" Flonne grabbed Laharl and pulled him with her.

A few minutes and a couple of burns later...

"ONCE I'M THROUGH WITH THIS, THOSE GUYS ARE GONNA PAY RUINING MY HAIR!!!!!" Laharl was incredibly pissed at this point. All of his vassals had finally turned against...not to mention mess up his perfect pair of rabbit ear hair. It felt as if his reign as Overlord is over...and it's only been two years.

"I'm sure they didn't mean it." Flonne said as she used her healing magic on him. "I bet they all wanted to see you get stronger. It's not like Etna wants you to die right now." _...though you can never understand what's going through her head..._

"Stupid teamwork...all this just for that!!! Why am I learning teamwork!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE REDUCED TO NOTHING BY MY OWN VASSALS!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO WORK ALONE WITH ONLY THE LOVE FREAK!?!" Maybe it's because Laharl's really pissed off at this moment, but he took that last one a little too far. He could easily hear the sniffling of the fallen angel.

"...Laharl-san...you're so mean..."

"Eh? How come you're crying?"

"Why don't you ask yourself why I'm crying..." Flonne huddled to herself, feeling really depressed.

"I don't understand what the hell you're talking about!! Don't you understand what's going on!?! I've been tricked by everyone of my vassals and forced to stay out here until fight them off!!!"

"I think you're the one who has to understand, Laharl-san..." Flonne got up and turned to the tunnel they just got out of. "Even now you still have no love in your heart...I'm very disappointed..." Flonne headed back toward up the tunnel.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"Back to the Castle. Obviously you would rather sleep out here than believe in what I've been trying to teach you..." And so Flonne left Laharl alone, hoping to get out of here.

Laharl still confused on what was going on, tried to replay everything in his mind, trying understand what's going on. _Geez...stupid Love Freak...what's she all upset about...wait! Was it when..._

'Stupid teamwork...all this just for that!!! Why am I learning teamwork!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE REDUCED TO NOTHING BY MY OWN VASSALS!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO WORK ALONE WITH ONLY THE LOVE FREAK!?!'

_I can't believe her, getting upset over that!! I mean it's not like we like each other or anything... _Laharl turned toward the tunnel that Flonne entered awhile ago. _...but...am I really just gonna let her go there on her on...? What am I saying!?! This is so stupid...damn Love Freak... _But then...another scene flashed before his mind. Something that he hasn't seen in awhile...

"Sayonara...Laharl-san...become a magnificent Overlord..."

"_FLONNE!!!! ...you bastard...I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!"_

"Hey...what happened to Laharl-san?" Trinity asked Flonne. She had finally escaped the tunnel.

"I'm sorry, but he doesn't want to work with me. I want to leave the cavern right now, so please could you step aside."

"Um...Etna didn't say anything about letting Flonne leave the cave." Hazuki said.

"That's true, but she did say that we have to keep fighting till Laharl and Flonne decides to fight back." Shin reminded them.

"Well I guess that means you can't leave, Flonne." Naruto told her. "So you'd better find Laharl."

"Fine...I guess I'll just have to fight my way out." Flonne took out her bow and aimed at the squad. "Dark arrow!!!!!"

Shin stepped in front of everyone and place his wand in front of the incoming arrows. "Shield!" Soon, a barrier appeared before them, protecting the rest of the squad.

"Trinity, Bones, Sirius use your magic attacks!!!" Hazuki ordered them.

"Sorry, but you won't be needing it!!!!" Everyone gasped, as a familiar voice echoed from above. They all looked up, only to see a raging ball of fire rain upon them. "Blazing Knuckles!!!!!" That ball of fire turned into a column of crimson flames, sprouting out from the ground. The vicious attack knocked out all but Naruto and Hazuki, since the rest were mostly mages. Flonne's savior landed perfectly in front of her.

"Laharl-san...?"

"...look I'm not good with apologies...but I guess I'm sorry about earlier..." Laharl, almost hestitantly, said. "...I don't care about whether or not I use teamwork...it comes in handy sometimes...but I'm not gonna be liable for any injuries that my friends sustains..."

Despite the big words Laharl just used, Flonne understood what he was trying to say. _You won't let your friends get hurt...? _Flonne smiled. _So you've had love in your heart all along. You were just afraid to show it..._

"Quit spacing out already, Love Freak!!!" Laharl scolded her. "If we're gonna get outta here, we're gonna need some teamwork!"

"Hai!" Flonne replied as she readied herself for battle.

"Just cuz we don't have most of our squad to back us up doesn't mean we'll lose this one!!!" Naruto exclaimed. "C'mon Hazuki!!! Let's show 'em what we got!!!" Suddenly, Naruto began to split into four different versions of himself.

"Hai!!!" Hazuki did the same, this time splitting to millions of copies. Everyone one of the copies surrounded the couple. "Doppleganger!!!!"

"Inferno!!!!"

Volleys of arrows and blasts were now heading straight for Laharl and Flonne. However...just as the attack was about to hit, Flonne grabbed Laharl and jumped into the air. With nothing to stop the attack, the copies ended up hitting each other, D'OH!!!

"Holy arrows!!!!" Flonne soon sent her own arrows of light toward both Naruto and Hazuki. If that wasn't enough, Flonne chucked Laharl down toward the two long range attackers, gathering his powers into his fist.

"Blazing Knuckles!!!!!" Several blasts later, both Naruto and Hazuki were laid nearly charred by the attacks.

"I think you went a little too hard on them, Laharl-san..." Flonne said as she looked down on Laharl's charred up vassals.

"Relax. They won't die." Laharl reassured her. "So how about we just get out of he—"

"LAHARL-SAN, WATCH OUT!!!! BERRY BARRIER BALIDARE!!! TURN THAT HAND BACK AT IT'S MASTER!!!!" (she still knows angel spells) Soon, a barrier appeared before Laharl and reflected what looked like a hand back at it's user.

"HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STEALING FROM THEM!!! AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

Laharl instantly recognized that voice. "Damnit, I was almost caught off guard. I'm not letting you get away with this one, Hiroshi!!!!!" Laharl dived into the shadows and an all out brawl was fought out. The hand that Hiroshi used, appeared before Flonne and gave her the stuff it stole.

"Thank you Mr. Hand!" Flonne said. She took one good look at what the 'prize' was, and flushed in embarassment. "Oh my..."

Soon Laharl came out of the shadows, also kind of flushed. "Geez...if you're gonna steal from me...DON'T DO IN THE NUDE!!! IT'S DISTURBING!!!!"

"Uh...Laharl-san..." Flonne interjected as she held up a pile of clothes. Wow, that must've been some high level hand to steal all that.

"How...ironic...and yet sickening..." Laharl shook it off and turned to the next tunnel. "Well we can't spend anymore time here. Let's continue forward!"

"Hai!" And so the two headed for next area.

Few minutes later...

"Where are we now, Laharl-san?" Flonne asked as they took their eleventh turn.

Laharl looked around, searching for the next tunnel to take to the Overlord's Castle. They had spent hours upon hours, looking for countless routes to the Castle. After analyzing their situation and the current area they were in, Laharl came up with one conclusion. "Crap...we're lost..."

"Lost!?!"

"Calm down, Love Freak. We'll find a way out of here." Laharl reassured her. "We just have to find some clue or something..."

"Laharl-san, would this be considered a clue?" Flonne pointed to the tattered sign on the wall. The sign read 'The Overlord's Castle is **NOT **this way'.

"What dumbass built this place...?" Laharl said sarcastically. Well it didn't matter anyway. They were on their way back to the Castle...or so they thought. Suddenly large blades zipped out from the darkness, nearly grazing Laharl.

"It seems you two have finally made it over here."

"Yeah, we've been waiting forever for you two to get over here."

"Aren't those the..." Flonne began.

"Yeah, I know. So Etna got my 'Youkai Suicide Squad' to join in too." Laharl noted.

The Youkai Suicide Squad was a mixture of Laharl's strongest and most disciplined vassals, with the exception of his female warrior. This team consisted of Steilhang(M.Warrior), Sarah (F.Warrior), Motoko(Ronin), Kakashi(Ninja), his two brawlers Ravens and Pailong, and his Cleric Julietta (each team has at least one cleric). Unlike the other team that stays back and fire away, this team would charge head first into battle. However, they were skilled in close combat. With all these pluses for the team, this battle won't be a cakewalk unlike the M&M squad (Magic and Missile, not the candy!).

"So she even got you into this, Steilhang." Laharl pointed to his most loyal vassal.

"I'm sorry, Laharl-sama, but I want to see you become stronger. I have seen how well you and Flonne-sama work together and I was hoping that with her help, you would gain the strength to defeat anything."

"Hmph...nice speech Steilhang..." Laharl said. "Unfortunately, I'd rather not stay here any longer. If you all want to see how strong I am, then come at me all together!"

"As you wish." Steilhang turned to Sarah. "Ready?"

"You bet!!" The pulled back their swords and with their mightest slash, sent two large green sword beams at Laharl and Flonne. "Dimensional Slash!!!"

Laharl and Flonne easily dodged the attack. It seemed like this battle will be easier than they thought. However...

"You can't escape us, Laharl-san!" Suddenly, Motoko appeared right in front of Laharl and started circling him until a large tornado lifted him into the air. "Hurricane Slash!!!" Soon, Motoko slashed at Laharl, sending him down to the ground.

Meanwhile, Flonne encountered nearly the same problem as Kakashi pummeled Flonne into Laharl with his Tiger Charge. Then, the two brawlers appeared beside them, ready to squash them like a bug with their Big Bang attack. Luckily, Laharl was able to grab Flonne and dodge them just in the nick of time.

"Laharl-san, are you alright?" Flonne worriedly asked him.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Laharl replied back. They were in a tight spot at this point. After all, the Youkai Suicide Squad contains Laharl's most powerful vassals. It's not a surprise that Laharl and Flonne would have difficulty. Despite this, Laharl wouldn't give up. This time he was surely going to win. The question is how to defeat them. Then... _Wait...that might be it..._ Laharl began to clutch Flonne's wrist tightly, confusuing Flonne a bit.

"Laharl-san...?"

"Leave the rest to me and get outta here!!!" Suddenly, Laharl pulled Flonne over and hurled her into the air. Flonne's voice wailed through the sky, leaving Laharl to fend himself from the Suicide Squad.

"Even now, you still think you can do everything on your own?" Ravens questioned him. "You could hardly defeat the M&M squad on your own."

"I don't care!" Laharl said as he started kneeling on the ground. "Cuz...I quit..." The squad mortified. Laharl is going to give up?

"Laharl-sama..." The entire squad started to circle him. But it was too early for the team to be lax as the squad doubled back from a swipe. It seems that Laharl wasn't really going to give up after all. "So you weren't going to give up?"

"Of course not! I'd rather die than give up right here!" Laharl exclaimed to all his vassals. "Besides, I still got back up!"

"What are you talk—" Suddenly, a sharp pain surged from the bodies of the squad. They looked up and saw Flonne from above with her bow. It all made sense now. Laharl was lying about sending Flonne to the Castle. Instead, he threw he up in the air to get a decent shot at all of them with her Holy Arrows.

"Maybe you guys should watch your enemy and your mouth first!!!!" Laharl then dug his hand into the ground and summoned his powers again. "Burning Knuckles!!!" The crimson column burst out of the ground and incinerated the entire cavern. As the fiery glow waned, the Suicide squad were laid unconcious. Laharl and Flonne were victorious once again.

"Laharl-san, if you're going to try something like that at least tell me what you're going to do..." Flonne shakily said with swirling eyes.

"Well we jumped that hurdle. Now it's time we kick some real ass!!!" Laharl grabbed Flonne and hurried to the next room.

"Finally, we're back!!!" After two more hours of searching, Laharl and Flonne found the stairs that lead them all the way back into Overlord's Castle. However, this wasn't over yet. There was still one more demon out there that's ready to take the two on. Suddenly...

"Rocket Punch!!!"

"Laharl-san, watch out!!!" Flonne grabbed Laharl and pulled him away from what looked like a mechanical hand.

"So you two made it out after all?"

Laharl and Flonne instantly recognized that voice. "Etna!"

"You may have gotten out, but if you really want to get back into the Castle, you'll have to fight us first!" Etna said arrogantly.

This time Laharl and Flonne were up against Laharl's most closest vassals: Etna, Aramis, and Kurtis. Laharl knew exactly how each of the three fought. Both Etna and Aramis can summon more allies onto the field, which included Prinnies and Zombies. Etna was also very proficient in demon magic and close range attacks. Kurtis, though a Prinny, was a very capable fighter who kept most of his gadgets from his other life as a human. This was going to be a long battle.

"Heh, don't underestimate me!! I've tolerated this teamwork crap long enough!! It's time we show you what we can do." Laharl turned to Flonne. "Right?"

"Of course! The power of love beats all!!!"

"DON'T BRING LOVE INTO THIS!!!!!"

Etna giggled as the two argued over the presence of love in this battle. "Seems you two are becoming quite a couple."

"ETNA!!!!!"

"Either way, it's time that we finally test your bond." Etna whistled into the air and raised her arms. Suddenly, Prinnies began to circle around her, floating into the air in a massive swarm. That's when Laharl realized what was going on. _She's gonna hurl all those Prinnies at us! _"The battle begins. Drop dead!!! Prinny Raid!!!!" In a snap, the Prinnies hurled themselves at Laharl and Flonne. The Prinnies zeroed in on their target and came in contact, causing an immense explosion of green and red. For some weak servents, these guys had some really explosive powers. Laharl and Flonne barely dodged it. Etna began to gloat as she felt the end of this battle would be coming very soon. "Alright, Kurtis attack!!!! ...Kurtis? Where are you, Kurtis?"

"Um...Etna-san, Kurtis is right there." Aramis, the sarcastic zombie tamer, said, pointing to an unconcious green Prinny.

"Whoops, I forgot! Prinny Raid effects all prinnies! Silly me!" Laharl's face slammed into the floor. It didn't matter to Etna, anyway. "Well it looks like we're one demon down. Alright, ready Aramis!"

Aramis nodded and whistled into air. This time an army of zombies appeared before the couple. "And now for my final zombie..." Suddenly a large purple zombie appeared. The most unusual feature cannot be described within the confines of this story. While it is unusual, it is definitely the Netherworld's most dangerous item. "Say hello to my little friend!!!"

"NOT THE HORSE WEINER ZOMBIE!!!!!!" See, there's no way anyone could describe something so atrocious so accurately. Either way, Laharl and Flonne had a lot more to deal with now. Suddenly...

"Hold it right thar, sonny boy!" yelled a weird demon in a business suit. "We demons have been tired of children like you, going in and cutting body parts just to modify your 'toys'. So we hearby place Aramis under arrest for cutting demons and legend parts." The business demon then pulls out a stamp and pounded it onto his forehead, reading the abbreviation of Aramis' sentence. "We have a name for kids like you, and that's 'Children Oppressing Cut Korpses'!!" (I dare you all to spell it out in your reviews. Just make sure to actually review and not say...um...that word)

Laharl suddenly burst into laughter. After all, who couldn't after spelling it all out. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! THAT'S GREAT!!! THAT MEAN ARAMIS IS A CO—" Soon his laughter was halted by Flonne whacking him. (I love playing with abbreviations!)

"Laharl-san, that's not a very nice to say that!!" Then again, she herself was trying to hold it in. Either way, both Kurtis and Aramis have been taken away...leaving Etna all by herself. Ouch, that's gotta suck.

Seeing victory in sight, Laharl began to gloat over his victory. "Ha! How do you like that? I bet now I could beat you on my own!! Face it, Etna! I won!!!"

"You really think so, Prince?" That glint in Etna's eyes...she's not done yet. She's just getting started. "Even if Aramis and Kurtis are gone, I still have my backup." Etna's whistle once again echoed through the air. Soon enough, three Prinnies were standing proudly before her.

It's pretty easy to guess what Laharl would do at this point. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! YOU HAVE PRINNIES AS BACK UP!!! YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!!"

"Watch it, Laharl-san!" Flonne warned. "You never know what Etna-san has up her sleeve!"

"Seriously Flonne, what can she do with those three Prinnies? Face it Etna, you've lost!"

Even then, Etna continued to grin. The twinkle in her eye was indicator that Laharl was simply being a fool at this point. "You really think so, Prince? Well, take this!!!" Etna suddenly grabbed two of her Prinnies and hurled them at Laharl and Flonne.

Seeing absolutely no threat in this attack, Laharl just scoffed at her. "Relying on your Prinnies explosive power again? You're really desperate, aren't you?" Laharl and Flonne simply ducked, letting the Prinnies fly overhead. "You have only one Prinny left! Do you still think you can win this?"

That's when Flonne realized that there was something a little strange. "Wait...Laharl-san...wasn't there supposed to be an explosion? The Prinnies are supposed to explode!"

"Nevermind that! C'mon, let's go and attack!!!" Suddenly, he felt something hit his back. It felt like an irritating itch to him. "What the—"

Flonne felt it too. "There's something on me!!"

That's when Laharl realized what happened. "THE PRINNIES!!!"

"That's right, Prince. I ordered the Prinnies to cling right onto your back! So what do you think?"

"I think you're just wasting my time!!!!" Laharl dashed at Etna, charging full speed. Instead of charging head on or waiting for the right time to counter, Etna rolled her last Prinny at Laharl's feet. Without realizing the obstruction in front of him, Laharl ended up tripping to the ground.

That's when something occured to Flonne, the true purpose Etna's Prinnies. "Don't tell me she's...LAHARL-SAN WATCH OUT!!!" Flonne ran quickly and pick Laharl up from his inevitable fall.

"Don't worry about me falling! Just help me fight!!!"

"Don't you get it, Laharl-san!!! She's purposefully making us fall!!! It's a trap!!!"

"But what could Etna do?" Then it hit him. The purpose of being tripped. The reason why the Prinnies were on his back. "...no way...don't tell me she's..."

"You're correct, Prince!" Etna said. "These special Prinnies are much more weaker, but are more powerful explosives! Because they are very weak, any strong impact on them will cause an explosion! Even something as simple as tripping on a rock!"

Despite this, Laharl wouldn't let up just yet. He decided if he was going to beat Etna, he might as well charge at his full power, and so he summoned his fire power again. "Blazing—"

"I wouldn't try that if I were you!" Etna warned him. "If your attack is too strong then the Prinnies WILL react to it!"

Laharl gritted his teeth and withdrew his Blazing Knuckles attack. Then he came up with another idea. _If I can't close in on her, I'll just have to attack from long range! _"Overlord's--!"

"Not so fast, Prince!!!" Etna grabbed her last Prinny again and hurled it at Laharl. Laharl quickly withdrew his spell and dodged the Prinny. This didn't look too good for Laharl.

"Laharl-san, you can't beat Etna like this!!!" Flonne exclaimed.

"I THINK I KNOW THAT ALREADY!!!!"

"But don't you see! Etna-san's working together with her Prinnies and creating the perfect strategy! In order to beat her, we have to play at her own game! We have to use teamwork!"

Laharl groaned, a bit annoyed that the words 'teamwork' have been echoing throughout this entire episode. "I know that...but how can we beat her?"

Flonne picked Laharl's head up and made him look straight into her eyes. "Etna-san, knows her Prinnies. She knew of their abilities and how they can fight. In order to fight her, you'll have to know yourself...and those who are you are fighting with. That's teamwork."

_Know yourself and those who you are fighting with... _Those words echoed throughout Laharl's mind. Laharl continued to think about what to do. _I...think I know myself...then what do I know about Flonne...that Love Freak..._ That's when it finally hit him. Laharl grinned deviously as he turned toward Etna. "Oy Etna! You'd better be ready, for in a few seconds, I will be the victor of this battle!"

"You sound pretty confident, Prince. You sure you have something to back that up?"

"Of course!" Laharl's grin grew bigger. He had a big plan ready to end this battle. "Alright, Flonne...I hope you're ready for this."

"Hai!" Flonne happily replied. "...but...what's this big plan of yours?"

"Oh you'll see!" Laharl then turned to Etna. "Alright...HERE I COME!!!!" Laharl charged towards Etna.

Etna shook her head. Even now Laharl was resorting to nothing but his own strength. "Geez Prince, you haven't learned a thing. Oh well...better put you out of your misery." Etna clutched both her spear and her last Prinny, ready to finish.

Suddenly, Laharl stopped half way and turned to Flonne. "Hey Love Freak, before I go and beat the crap outta Etna, can you teach me about love?"

Etna couldn't help it. She had to crack up. "I can't believe I'm hearing this! Do you really want to learn about love before you get your ass kicked?"

Flonne ignored Etna and cheerfully replied, "Of course, Laharl! In fact, we should have the Prinnies join us too!"

"Huh?"

"C'mon Prinnies, I'm gonna teach you all about love!"

"Well if it beats hanging on your backs, then sure, dood!" The Prinnies began to slide off their backs and huddle around Flonne as she began ranting away about the importance of love.

"What the—IDIOTS, GET BACK ON THEM!!!! HEY I'M TALKING TO YOU!!!!" It was no use. Laharl's plan worked. Using Flonne's powers of love nagging, the Prinnies were able to get off their backs. Now that they were out of harm's way, Etna had no other vassals left. On the other hand, while Flonne was too busy with the Prinnies to fight, Laharl definitely had the advantage over Etna when it came to one-on-one. Etna sighed. She had no other options... "I give up...you win, Prince." ...but to surrender.

Laharl's voice crackled throughout the halls of the Castle as he basked in glory over his victory. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I'M THE GREATEST!!! THE MOST POWERFUL IN THE NETHERWORLD!!!! I AM UNSTOPPABLE!!!! FEAR ME!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

However, some of the other vassals in the castle were not interested in Laharl's victory. "SHUT UP, WE'RE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!!!!" "IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THAT, PRINCE!!!!"

Etna turned to Laharl "Either way, you were able to get through all this with the use of teamwork. I guess that means no more teamwork training!"

"Finally! Now that I've got free time on my hands--!"

"Wait, Prince!" Etna halted Laharl. "Don't you have something to say to your little sweetheart?"

Bright red was plastered all over Laharl's face as Etna teased him about his relationhship with Flonne. "YOU FOOL!!! JUST BECAUSE WE WORK TOGETHER VERY DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE...LIKE THAT!!!"

"Aw...is our lil megalomanic shy?"

"SHUT UP!!!"

"Oh what are you two talking about?" Flonne asked the two, gettting out of 'love ranting mode'

"Oh nothing. We were just talking about the Netherworld's future couple!"

"Future couple?"

"NO WAY!!! THE TWO OF US ARE NOT A COUPLE!!!!" Laharl continued to bark at Etna.

"The two of us?" That's when Flonne's face flushed a bright red, in embarrasment. "ETNA-SAN, WE'RE JUST GOOD FRIENDS!!! WE'RE NOT LIKE THAT!!!"

"Wait, till I tell everyone about this!!!" And so, Etna quickly dashed out of the room.

"GET BACK HERE!!!!" Soon, Laharl and Flonne, pretty much embarrassed and pissed at Etna, chased her down the Castle...together!

* * *

**Next episode:**

Etna: Today's episode I—

Laharl: All you lowly servants out there! Bow down for the your great Overlord has arrived!!!

Etna: Wait a minute!!!!

Laharl: I, Overlord Laharl, am now in power and you shall surrender everything to me!!!!

Etna: PRINCE--!!!

Laharl: There is no one who can oppose me!!!! Watch as I trash all my enemies and bring terror to all those who defy me!!!!

Etna: THIS IS MY SHOW!!!!

Laharl: Next time on Great Overlord Laharl!!!: The Overlord Has Arrived! Prepare for terror like you've never seen before. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Etna: ::large bang:: Shut up already!!!!

* * *

I improved on the length but description is, unfortunately, still lacking. Then again, at least it's better than how I used to write. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now that the whole teamwork thing is over with, we're back to a more humorous light hearted adventure. 


	3. Crushing the Rejects

**Author's Notes: **WAAAAAAAAH!!!! HOW COME I GOT ONLY TWO REVIEWS LAST CHAPTER!?! DID TnA REALLY LOSE IT'S POPULARITY!?! ::ahem:: Yeah I'm kinda disappointed but that's not gonna stop me! Besides, the chapter just came out and the Disgaea section isn't the biggest section in the game category area. Hopefully a few more reviews will come in by the time I'm finished with chapter.

And speaking of which, this chapter will be more fluff, humor, and mindless violence (with slight bits of romance here and there). Aramis reappears again, but don't ask he got out of his big sentence. So now I will start this chapter. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Sometimes I wonder why I write the disclaimer for every chapter. Oh well! But you do know that I don't own Disgaea, right? Also, I don't own any show that I'm spoof off of. One other thing, if you're a fan of any of these spoofed shows, don't get upset.

**

* * *

****Episode 3:** Crushing the Rejects (Lalala!) 

Traversing through both the Alternate and Original Netherworlds on foot is an impossible task, but there has been one who has done such a thing. That person was currently taking a rest at the Sea of Gehenna, one of the biggest tourist spots in the Netherworld. That person could not be identified however, due to the large black cape covering his features. The only thing that was visible was his neck chain with his three charms: a cross, the symbol for a Gemini, and a half lapis lazuli half obsidian arrowhead. Otherwise the only other visible itemin site was his weapon, a long priest staff with the holy cross on top. However the cross looked very different from any normal cross. It was giving off both a holy and demonic presence. The man looked into the sky, searching for something that was out of his reach.

_Where the hell are you...Yuki...?_

At the Overlord's Castle...

"I'm so friggin bored..." Laharl yawned as he circled his throne.

"If you're bored, then why don't we try the teamwork training again?" Etna asked him.

"NEVER!!!!" After Etna declared that she no longer needed to train Laharl to learn the importance of teamwork, Laharl was overjoyed and thought of things he could do with his spare time. Lately, however, he had wasted many of his plans and ended up becoming bored. Sure, some of the things he did were fun, like creating another annoying TV series on Earth that ABSOLUTELY no one seemed to like but still kept going anyway, but it's been getting boring and he needed something else he could do. Beating up item world residents didn't really help and meeting with all those rioting Senators was nothing but a chore. Laharl was already at the brink of insanity and needed something to do.

"Laharl-san, you're going to make holes around your throne if you keep doing that..." Flonne reminded him. That's when Flonne had a grand idea. "I know! Why don't we go visit Celestia?"

Laharl simply sighed. "Why would I want to go to that gay flowery place again?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!"

"But you did give me a great idea!" Laharl replied as he rubbed his hands together. He creepily chuckled; sending chills up a couple of the vassals' spine. "Oy Kakashi!"

"Yes Laharl-san?"

"Prepare to send out a message to Seraph Lamington!"

A few minutes later in Celestia...

"Greetings Master Lamington!" A young angel by the name of Katy greeted the Seraph as she marched toward him. Lamington groaned and put down the controller of his PS2. Katy was, like Flonne, an angel trainee, and acts like her in a way. Currently, she's the messenger for both Celestia and the Netherworld. Katy pulled out a telegram and handed it to the Seraph. "Seraph, you have a telegram from Overlord Laharl in the Netherworld."

"Ah, I wonder what the young Overlord wants?" Lamington said, as he took the letter. "Thank you, Katy."

"Oh you're welcome." And so Katy left his quarters. Lamington put the letter to his face and carefully read his telegram:

_Dear Seraph Lamington,_

_I'm here to inform you that...I will beat your ass today. I've been waiting for this moment. You are now totally off guard. There's nowhere to run. Nothing you can do. I'm hiding in the shadows of your quarters. I could be anywhere...even **right behind you**..._

_Sincerely Laharl, Overlord of the Netherworld_

Lamington quickly turned around flung a lightning spell at his attacker. However, he soon realized that he ended up annihilating his TV along with his PS2, not his attacker. "Damn! And I was beating the crap out of the Vulcanus too!" (He was playing Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. How ironic.) He then realized that there was something else on the telegram. It read:

_P.S._ _HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! YOU FELL FOR IT!!!! TOO BAD YOU DIDN'T SAVE BEFORE BLOWING UP YOUR PS2!!! CIAO!!!!_

Back at the Netherworld...

"Oh, the Seraph replied back?" Laharl asked Katy.

"Oh yes. He said he was glad to have gotten a letter from you." Katy replied. "I shouldn't spoil too much about the letter so I should go. See ya." And so, Katy headed back toward Celestia.

Laharl laughed so hard. "THE FOOL DIDN'T EVEN SEEIT COMING!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

"Oh grow up, Laharl!" Flonne said, with her hands on her hips. "You know the saying 'What goes around, comes around.'"

"Sure whatever! I can't wait to hear what the Seraph said." Laharl hastily opened the telegram. Suddenly, "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" a blast of lightning shot out of the telegram and into Laharl face. Laharl screamed in pain as he felt something worse than a terrible unreachable itch.

Meanwhile, Flonne picked up the letter and read it aloud for Seraph's victim to hear:

_Dear Overlord Laharl,_

_Haha...very funny. Well I hope you like my **'present'**. That's what you get for destroying my game. Luckily for you, I'm not one to hold a grudge. So next time you're bored, **don't** bring me into your boredom, capiche?_

_Sincerely Seraph Lamington_

_P.S. Come visit Celestia sometime and bring Flonne with you._

"Laharl-san—"

"Don't even say it, Flonne..." Laharl groaned with burns all over his face. Now that pissing off the Seraph was out of the question, Laharl began to shout out in the halls, "IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO AROUND HERE!?!"

"Would it be helpful if I said that I have a new mission for you?" Etna asked Laharl as she came in with a sheet of paper.

"YES!!! I'LL DO ANYTHING CEPT THAT STUPID TEAMWORK TRAINING!!!"

"But I thought you said teamwork was helpful..." Flonne moaned.

"Well...yeah I guess it is. But I dun wanna go through Etna's training!!"

"Well you're in luck." Etna said. "There's an uprising in some part of the Netherworld that you, as Overlord, must crush!" She pointed to the young Overlord.

"GREAT!!! SOMETHING WORTH DOING!!!!" Laharl cheered, happy that he had an assignment. The best thing about the assignment was that he's going to be the crap out of Netherworld residents to make them respect him. Ironically, that was supposed to be on the top of his list (D'OH). "So what kind of place are we supposed to conquer?"

"Well...it's a weird place. It's called...

"'...Rejectville?'"

"Yup." Etna replied. "This place has been getting pretty restless lately. They say you don't recognize the demons here too much and so they're staging a revolt."

"Well, how am I supposed to recognize them? I didn't even know this place existed."

"I wonder what kind of demons reside here in Rejectville?" Flonne said.

"Well we're not gonna know just standing here!" Laharl crossed his arms, his most familiar pose. "So these puny vassals think they can rise up against me? Well they've got another thing coming, for anyone who crosses the Overlord's path will suffer!!! Hmhmhm...hmhmhm...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

Etna sighed. "There he goes again..."

"Looks like we've got another fun adventure ahead of us!" Flonne exclaimed.

Aramis sighed. "Geez...we're always surrounded by idiots, aren't we Etna-san?"

"Yup..."

_ Where the hell am I now...?_ The mysterious man from earlier was now heading through a frost area, full of zombies, imps, and incredibly sexy demons. Luckily for him, he was capable of taking out zombies and imps and sex appeal doesn't necessarily affect him. As he continued onward he kept looking for signs or clues to where he was. Finally, he came upon a sign filled with snow. He shook the snow off the sign and it read 'Welcome Joutenheim, the greatest place to get laid.' "Well that's reassuring. Geez...at least my powers make up for my poor sense of direction. How do I get out of here?"

"You're back...?" The man swung his head around. Standing before him was what looked like a total stranger to him, but the presence was all too familiar.

The man chuckled to himself. "So the rumors about you and Krichevskoy still alive were true after all...am I right Rayne?"

"Please, my name is now Kirei, and I've been reborn as a demon, I'm no longer human...unlike some people."

"Stop. What made you think I was still human?"

"Oh right. Forgive me...you're an 'exception'."

"That's right. So why are you still here?" The man finally asked.

"We're looking for someone." The two turned around. Mid Boss was standing majestically over a rock. "So you decided to come back after all. Either way, we're looking for someone you might know."

The man simply shrugged and turned south. "It would be best for you not to interfere with my affairs..."

"I understand your concern." Mid Boss began. "But, though our goals may be different, the we will take are similar. Our paths will cross eventually."

"What are you getting at?"

"You're looking for two people. I won't mention the other one, but I'm sure you're here to see my son, Laharl."

The man gasped. "How did you--?"

"'How I knew' is not what you should be asking.", Mid Boss reminded him. "Maybe what you should be asking now is 'how do I get there?'"

"Heh. I guess there's no hiding anything from you, Krichevskoy."

"Haha. Anyway, head over to the Imp Lair to the north. You may not find anything, but you might be able to sense a fading dimensional portal. I'm sure with your magic, you'll be able to open a route to the Overlord's Castle."

The man politely bowed Mid Boss. "Arigato (Thank you). Now I must be going." And so, the man left Mid Boss and Kirei and headed for the Imp Lair.

Kirei had a worried look on her face. Something bothered her, and Mid Boss could feel it. "Is there something wrong?"

Kirei nodded. "To think he would return now, just as the evil presence emerged. Something tells me that Laharl and Flonne will have more on their hands than we thought they would..."

Back at Rejectville, Laharl and the rest of his vassals were now walking arrogantly into the town. The place was creepy, filled to the brim with happy stufffrom cute kittens to other stuff that seemed to come from TV shows. Everyone could feel something odd as fear crept up his or her spines. All except Flonne, who was happily playing with the stuffed puppy.

"Aw...it's so cute!"

"FLONNE PUT IT DOWN!!!" Laharl demanded. "THAT THING'S CREEPING ME OUT!!!!"

"Oh c'mon Laharl-san. Don't you wanna hug it?" Flonne teased him, holding the plushie up to his face. Laharl began to back off, until a sound came from the puppy plushie. A little tune followed after, and soon the puppy plushie began to talk.

'Hello boys and girls. I'm Bai Bai Puppy and you, Overlord Laharl, are not permitted on these grounds. Please leave before we kick the crap out of y—' Before Bai Bai could finish he sentence, Laharl sliced up the innocent plushie. Bai Bai was now nothing but stuffing.

"I hope that's the last of them." Laharl panted.

"Aw...Bai Bai Puppy go bye bye." Flonne sniffled. Suddenly...

"We've been waiting for you, Overlord!!!" Laharl, Flonne, and the others looked up. There were five figures on top of the building, doing many gay poses. "You think that you can stop us from complaining? You've got another thing coming! We're here to right the wrong! We're here to fight for justice and love! I am 'Skipper Star' and these are my 'Skipper Scouts'. And in the name of justice, 'we will make you sorry'!!!"

Large sweat drops were forming on everyone's heads. Laharl was probably the most annoyed of all of them. "Now I know why they call this place 'Rejectville'...not to mention why no one wants to pay any attention to them..."

Flonne, on the other hand, was admiring the 'Skippers'. "OMG! They're so cool!!!" Flonne just kept squealing like hopeless fan girl. All the other vassals looked at her with pity.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Etna uttered.

"Don't think you can escape us!" The Skippers exclaimed. "We Skippers have the power to defeat you!!! With love and justice on our side, nothing will stand in our way!!!"

"I couldn't have said it better..." Flonne said, brushing a tear off her eye.

"WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON, FLONNE!?!" Laharl scolded her.

"Now it us time for us to use our flashy wand power thingy attack!" The Skippers began to form a circle and began doing gay poses over and over.

Etna sighed as she pulled out her gun. "Sometimes this job is just waaaaay too easy..." Etna aimed at each one and shot them all to the ground.

Laharl sighed. "Finally, those girls actually shut up..."

"Aw...but they were cool..." Flonne moaned.

"FLONNE!!!!!" Laharl and Etna yelled together.

"Alright Alright. So Rejectville is basically a place where rejected Saturday morning cartoons go, right?"

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Gordon all of a sudden appeared in here..." Laharl said.

"Either way we should continue forward, right?"

"Right..."

Few minutes and a couple of rejects later, Laharl and the others finally reached the center of Rejectville. On their way there, they had to battle through numerous rejects. These rejects varied, from little alien babies who spoke in incoherent phrases to martial artists who seemed to have a hard time speaking properly to a big dinosaur whowanted to be their friend. Each was one more annoying than the next.

"I thought I was gonna be given a real challenge..." Laharl moaned. He began to go into his ranting mode. "BUT FIGHTING OFF BABIES AND STUPID PINK DINOSAURS WAS NOT I WANTED!!!!" Laharl ripped apart Bearny, the friendly pink dinosaur as he moved toward the center of town (for more information on Bearny, please my RK fic 'Hiko Seijuro, a Himura Kid's Best Friend'.)

"But I wanted to be his friend too..." Flonne moaned.

"STOP IT FLONNE!!!!"

"Okay okay. I'll stop!" Flonne finally turned toward their next destination. "Well you took on this mission, Laharl-san. You might as well finish it. I wonder what the ruler of this place will be like." Flonne began oogling over the cuteness of the ruler. Possibly a beautiful princess or a bishie king.

Obviously, Laharl, Etna, Aramis, Kurtis, and the rest of vassals did not want to know.

"What reject will we be battling next?" Etna finally asked. Suddenly...

"BAAAAAKAAAA SUCKAAAAA BAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" ...a large energy..._turtle_... crashed near Laharl's. "Finally, I get to test my strength and utter stupidity!!!" Laharl's group looked up. There was a spiky haired man with baboon butt and tail. "I am Baka, a Suckan who's part of the elite LizardBlock warriors. 'LizardBlock Y' warriors to be exact!!!!"

Flonne sighed. "Aw, and I thought all the rejects would be cute. Oh well, let's beat this guy!!!"

Laharl cheered. "I didn't think you would actually agree with me again. Oh well! Clobbering time!!!"

"Don't think so!!" Baka exclaimed. "For I shall beat you with my ultimate technique!!!" Baka got into his stance and started gathering energy turtles again. (The fans of these shows will DEFINITELY kill me for this) "BAKAAAAAAAAAA SUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" Soon, millions of energy..._turtles_...were blasted toward the group. Ironically, the turtles only seemed to annoy Laharl, not actually hurt him.

"Flinging energy turtles as an attack...this is probably the lamest enemy yet." Laharl sighed as he turned to Flonne. "Right Flonne? Flonne?"

At this point, Flonne was seething in anger. "That man...he abuses...turtles!!!!"

"Well I guess the guy has no choice." Etna said. "After all, he probably doesn't have any other attacks."

"This turtle abuser must be stopped at all cost!!!" Flonne exclaimed. There was no way she was going to let him get away with this 'crime'.

"Wanna have the honor of finishing him?" Laharl asked her.

"Oh certainly. Thank you, Laharl-san! I knew you'd agree with me!!!"

"Heh..." Laharl uttered, trying to sound confident and collected.

"Trying to sound cool there, eh Prince?" Etna teased him.

"SHUT UP!!!! Flonne, just blast him outta the sky or something!!! This turtle thing is getting annoying!!!!"

"Hai!" Flonne turned towards Baboon Butt...I mean Baka, and began summoning her powers. Light gathered toward her fingertips and aimed it with her bow at her opponent. Then in a flash... "Holy Arrows!!!" numerous arrows of light shot out of the bow, piercing through the Baka and finishing him off for good. "And don't come back loser!"

"Well that's over." Laharl let out a sigh. "Let's go. I wanna finish this mission as soon as possible!"

"At least you're not bored, right Prince?"

"Yeah, Laharl-san. This is fun!!"

"Riiiight..."

"TAKE THIS YOU DISEASED RAT!!!!!" Laharl stepped on a rat with what looked like Tylenol tablets for cheeks and sheared off its head.

"NOOOOOO!! GAWDBLESCHUUU!!!" Went Bash Spredum, the Sicko'man trainer (Now this one is probably THE MOST retarded thing I came up with). With no other Sicko'mans left, he hurried off, throwing away Adderballs as he went.

"That had to be the most retarded opponent yet..." Etna sighed.

"Well at least we're in front of the palace of the Rejectville ruler." Flonne pointed out. "Hm? Don't you think it looks strangely familiar?"

"Yeah! You're right! It looks like..." Etna soon realized what she meant. Crooked towers, dimensional gates, a secret cavern. It obviously rang a bell to the Laharl and the rest.

Laharl was now this close to exploding in a rage that no one would be happy to see. So instead... "WHAT KINDA !#$$ DEMON COPIED MY #$$!# CASTLE!!!!" he cussed all of Rejectville out.

Then...

"Greetings Overlord..."

"...we meet..."

"...again..."

Laharl cringed. "No...NOT THEM AGAIN!!!!!"

"Oh..."

"...yes..."

"...again..." The three dropped from the sky.

"We are here to fight off those who make fun of us! We..."

"...are...."

"...THE PRISM RANGERS!!!!!" The three were now majestically posing like idiots. A flashy light show was shown at the final pose.

Etna sighed. "I thought I killed these guys."

"Well you didn't and we are here!!!" The three exclaimed together.

Kurtis couldn't have been more pissed to see these knock offs. "THEY LOOK LIKE THE FRIGGIN P—"

"Ahem. Can't say that around here, Kurtis?" Aramis, the now '**law abiding**' zombie tamer said.

"Can we get this over with?" Flonne yawned, which was incredibly ironic. All the other vassals gasped.

"So you're not gonna become all fan girly?" asked Etna. Flonne shook her head.

"Flonne must be sick or something." Laharl added. "Oh well. Time to die Prism Rangers!"

"Wait!!! Can we please transform this time? We never got to transform before!!! PLEASE!!!!! PLEASE!!!! OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE!!!!"

"ALRIGHT!!!! JUST GO AND TRANSFORM ALREADY!!!!" Laharl was getting more and more bored by the second. It seemed that this mission was more about pissing him off than challenging him.

"YAY!!! WATCH AND BE AMAZED!!!!" Soon light shot out of the Prism Rangers. Light shinned everywhere. Everything was illuminated to the point of blinding. After all was completed, the light diminished. Laharl and the others gazed upon the Prism Rangers final transformation. "BEHOLD!!! THE COLORFUL RAINBOWY ULTIMATE...MEGABOARD!!!!"

"That's it..." Aramis replied sarcastically. "A gay board!!!!"

Laharl sighed. "And I wonder why I brought my vassals with me? Well since they're here, they can beat the crap out of this thing for me. Alright Steilhang, do what you need to do."

"Right!" Steilhang turned to everyone. "Let's go!"

"Hold on!" Laharl said. He then pulled out a humongous rock and laid it in front of the vassals. How he got that humongous rock to fit in his cape is a question that will never be solved. "Alright! Now show them what the rock can really do!!! (only 500, 000, 000 HL!!!)"

"Um...okay...as you wish, Laharl-sama." Steilhang ordered all everyone to lift the rock. Not wanting to waste time Laharl, Flonne, and Etna rushed into the Rejectville Castle, leaving all the other vassals to take on the Megaboard (you'll never guess who wins).

Few minutes and a bit of board and rock action later...

"Now it's about time we meet this Rejectville leader!!" Laharl said. "And if he disappoints me, I'M GONNA RIP THIS ENTIRE TOWN FROM THE FACE OF THE NETHERWORLD!!!!"

"But Laharl-san, that's just cruel to the citizens of Rejectville. I can't wait till I see the ruler of this place!!!" Flonne exclaimed with flames in her eyes.

"SO THAT'S WHY YOU WANTED TO HURRY UP!!!!"

"Either way, I think the question should be 'Does this town even have a leader?', right Prince?"

"You got that right!" Everyone turned around. There he was, the Overlord of Rejectville. "So you think you can wipe us all off!!! Well you've got another thing coming!!!"

Flonne squealed like a hopeless fan girl once again. "OMG THE OVERLORD IS SO CUTE!!!!!"

Etna gave her a very puzzling look. Looking at the Rejectville Overlord, there was obviously something wrong with Flonne's statement. "Flonne, do you realize who this Overlord looks like...?"

"Yup!" Flonne replied happily. "He's just so adorable I wanna hug him!!!" Laharl glared at Flonne with the most evil of eyes.

The Overlord crossed his arms and yelled into the air. "ALRIGHT!!! PAI!! EDNA!!! GET READY TO ELIMINATE OUR OPPONENTS!!! ANYONE WHO CROSSES THE GREAT OVERLORD RAHUR WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!!!! Hmhmhm...hmhmhmhm...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

This was the last straw for Laharl. His patience was now breaking the limit. The final opponent turned out to be nothing more than a sick copycat. "YOU COPIED ME AND MY LINES!!!! YOU EVEN COPIED MY LAUGH!!!! I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR THIS!!! NOW FACE THE WRATH OF OVERLORD LAHARL!!!!" Laharl charged at the Rahur with incredible rage and fury. "BLAZING KNUCLKES!!!!!"

"HEY THAT'S MY MOVE!!!!" Rahur summoned the same powers and attacked with nearly the same attack. "FLAMING FIST!!!!" The two collided with a powerful force, which knocked the two on their feet. Unlike the other rejects, Rahur wasn't going to be so easy to beat.

"HE CAN COPY MY MOVES TOO!?!"

Flonne saw that Laharl couldn't with this alone. She turned to Etna and said, "C'mon Etna-san! Laharl-san needs our help!"

"Right!" Etna leaped into the air, gathering energy into her palm. At the apex of her jump, she let out the energy in a series of pink beams. "Sexy beam!!!"

Meanwhile, Flonne charged light energy into her bow and shot out numerous light arrows. "Holy arrows!!!!"

Unfortunately for them, Pai and Edna had the same intent as they performed similar attacks. "Seductive Blast!!!"

"Light Spear!!!" The attacks collided. The immense power of the attacks knocked both teams back. It seemed that they were all evenly matched.

Laharl began muttering things to himself. "Bastards...why the hell does Rejectville have an Overlord like that? Does that mean I'm a reject?"

"I would say...yes!" Etna teased him.

"SHUT UP!!!!!"

"Don't worry, Laharl-san!" Flonne exclaimed. "We've got love on our side!!!"

"Now's not the time for this, Love Freak..."

"Sorry Prince, but Flonne is..._kinda_ right." Etna said. "I bet those guys only learned from copying. I bet you if used that teamwork you learned, we'd be able to beat them."

"Hmmmm..." Laharl thought about it. Teamwork might work against Rahur, since he's only been copying from Laharl. However, how to defeat him was the real question. _Wait...what if...it's a bit risk but I'll take it! _"Alright, I got an idea!" Laharl turned to Flonne. "Flonne, fire off your Holy Arrows!" Laharl then turned to Etna. "Etna, use Prinny Raid. And I'll finish it off with Overlord's Wrath!!"

"Fools!!!! Do you really think your attacks will work on us!!!" Rahur shouted.

"I won't know till I try!" Laharl replied. "But...some foolish copycat cannot defeat me!!! Alright!!! Attack!!!" All of them began charging up their attacks, hoping to finish off their opponent. Laharl was the first to attack. "Overlord's Wrath!!!"

Then Flonne. "Holy Arrows!!!"

And then Etna. "Prinny Raid!!!!"

Rahur, Pai, and Edna followed suit. "King's Rage!!!!"

"Light Spear!!!"

"Prinny R--huh!?!" That's when the rejects realized what was going on. When both teams performed all the attacks, one of them couldn't match up.

"You guys fell for it!!!" Laharl exclaimed. "The only one who can summon Prinnies so easily is Etna!!! Something a simple copycat cannot do!!!" As all the attacks collided, Laharl, Etna, and Flonne's attacks pushed through Rahur, Edna, and Pai's attack. The copycats had no choice but to face the attack at full force. When the smoke finally cleared, Edna and Pai were unconscious on the floor. Rahur was still up. "Ha! Suck that reject!!! How does it feel to be beaten by the real thing!?!" Suddenly, Laharl heard something sniffling. He turned to Rahur, who was crying on the floor.

"I'm s-sorry. I only wanted our citizens to be recognized." Rahur solemnly said. "You see, Rejectville was once a place where young orphaned children were welcomed. A dark man with mystical powers saved this spot just for us. We found a place we could call home. But then...the man had to leave the place. He said he'd be gone for a while but would eventually return. He never came back. We were confused and scared. We didn't know what to do."

"That's so sad." Flonne cried.

"FLONNE!!!!"

Rahur continued. "Then we found a TV...from Earth. The TV was able to display many shows that we enjoyed. We watched these powerful warriors destroy demons many times their size. So we tried to copy them. But soon demons began laughing at us, saying that we were so retarded."

"Well I think you guys are pretty retarded for copying us." Laharl muttered.

"LAHARL-SAN!!!!"

Rahur continued again. "So we tried to gain recognition. Last time, we tried sending the Prism Rangers to fight you when you announced the challenge for Overlord two years ago. They all came up empty handed. So we decided that maybe, if we brought you here, we could surely defeat you with our numbers. My friends and me tried studying your attacks...but soon we noticed how much power you had and tried to copy it. That's why Pai, Edna, and me tried to copy you. We wanted your strength...but it seems we were far from it." That's when Rahur felt something warm. He looked up. Flonne was hugging him.

"You poor thing. To think you lived such a life without any parents." Flonne sniffled, bringing him close. "Don't worry. We're here to help you."

"Lemme guess. You're gonna ask me to have pity on them?" Laharl asked Flonne.

"Please Laharl-san."

"Oh alright. At least you admire my strength so much that you wanted to copy me."

"Of course I admire your strength!" Rahur exclaimed. "The Overlord is known to be the strongest in the Netherworld."

"At least there's someone out there who can acknowledge my strength." Laharl said. He then held out his sword and slightly tapped Rahur's shoulder with it. "I, Overlord Laharl, proclaim you, Rahur, the true ruler of Rejectville. As the current Overlord, we give you full sovereignty over your land."

"Overlord..."

"Just make sure not to piss me off again, 'k kid."

"Hai!"

Later that day at the Overlord's Castle...

"I didn't think you'd be so merciful, Prince." Etna teased him.

"Look, I don't want these rejects complaining their asses off again. Besides, the kid put up a good fight. I guess he deserves it." Laharl looked into sky and sighed. "Even though he tried copying me, he and his friends were able to gain that much power in two years. It kinda makes me wonder how much stronger they're gonna become."

"Well it's because they're driven." Flonne interjected. "Even though they are rejects, the need for love and recognition drove them to become so strong. I'm sure you would become even stronger if there was some sort of motivation."

"What do you mean?" Laharl ran up to his throne and stood at his full height, crossing his arms. "I'm the strongest in the Netherworld!!!! I even defeated the Seraph!!!! There's no need for more strength cuz there is no one in the universe who can defeat me!!!! Hmhmhmhm...hmhmhmhmhm...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

"But Laharl-san, are you sure there isn't anything driving you to become stronger? Is there someone out there that made you strong enough to defeat Lamington-sama?"

Laharl thought about it. The time he defeated the Seraph. Seraph was indeed a powerful being. Laharl could've been killed facing him...but there was something motivating him to beat him. That thing...was a little white flower. "No, of course not!"

Noticing the blush on Laharl's face, Etna annoyed him once again. "Oooh! The Prince is blushing!"

"SHUT UP ETNA!!!!! I'M GONNA CHUCK A TURTLE AT YOU IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP!!!!"

"Laharl-san, you're a turtle abuser too!?!"

"No I didn't mean it that way!!!!!"

"Now the Prince is apologizing to Flonne-chan! You've come a long way in your relationship with her, haven't you Prince?"

"ETNA!!!!!!"

_episode end_

**Next episode:**

Flonne: NIN NIN! An army of evil samurai have dominated the Icy Lands of the Netherworld!

Etna: Hey, what's with the sound effects?

Flonne: CLASH!!! The evil daimyo E—er...Maderas has ordered all the samurai to kill innocent demons for a hidden treasure!

Etna: I wouldn't be surprised. The second the word treasure reaches out, the demons go crazy over it.

Flonne: TA DA!!! Here to save the day is the Kunoichi of Love, Flonne!!! Can this Love Ninja save the Netherworld in time?

Etna: Love Ninja!?! You've gotta be kidding me...

Flonne: Next time on **Love of Flonne, Nin Nin:** Ninja's love, demon's greed!!! Love will protect all!!! ...So Etna-san, are you glad I didn't make you the evil villain this time?

Etna: Yeah! ...unfortunately you still stole my spot so you're gonna have to die, 'k! ::bang::

Flonne: ::squeals:: KYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

* * *

I'm sorry for those guys who actually like DBZ, Sailor Moon, and Pokemon. While I pretty much hate those shows, I hope you don't get upset from the above. You see I was thinking up a humor chapter to steer it away from a bit of the serious stuff. So I began to see if I could bring back any characters. The first thing that came to mind was the Prism Rangers, so I thought 'hey, what if there were other rejects just like them'. So I came up with the Rejectville idea. I'm quite surprised that I didn't use a Gordon reject in here (though Gordon himself is already a reject. Sorry for you Gordon fans). So I placed in really messed up versions of these anime. I would've included Inuyasha but too many people like it (it's...okay, I just don't like how it topped RK in the top 25 anime). Though it's pretty obvious what I did with the DBZ and SM spoof, the Pokemon spoof came from something that came to mind recently. First off, my sister told me about these plushies for different diseases, such AIDs and the common cold. Messed up right? And then I started coming up with a messed up name for Pikachu. So I tried to think up a name that would have some kind of meaning to it. So I used 'Gawdbleschu' and then Sicko'man was born (the man part is just me being stupid and using the 'adult' pronunciation of Pokemon.) As for the names of the Disgaea rip offs, Rahur was simply my way of messing up Laharl's romaji name (which Raharr), Edna is pretty obvious. I'm sure you're all wondering where I got Pai for Flonne. Well in the japanese version is prounounced Flonne (Flown) but in english it was prounounced Flonne (Flan), making her sound like some kind of desert. From there, Pai (Pie)was born. Either way I hope you liked this retarded chapter. And would you look at that! I got my reviews! Yay! Anyway, next episode is gonna go back to a bit more of seriousness. And guess what! It's starring Etna this time! Since the last 3 episodes were more on Laharl and Flonne, I thought Etna should get her chance in spotlight. Well I hope you look forward to the next chapter. Until then, ja'. 


	4. Inborn Secret

**Author's Notes: **Well I hope you enjoyed the second infomercial episode (not to mention your new love. Buy today! It's free!) Anyway, it's time to get back to Tsubasa no Aku. But first, I'm going to answer some of your questions. Yes, you were right Kizzi-chan. The romaji is Raharu. I actually knew that for a while. The problem was that when I was thinking up the name of Laharl's reject, I tried to look for something similar to Laharl's name, so I took screwed around with the romaji name to created Rahur. Unfortunately, I ended up forgetting the original romaji name and instead thought that Rahur was just a messed up version of Rahar. So yeah, my bad.

As for my other reviewer, technically Laharl is 1315 in this fic (remember, it takes place two years after Disgaea). And I know Laharl's exact age, I just wanted to give an estimate. I think Etna is 1472 and then Flonne would be 1509. Well at least in this fic. I gotta read up on the game script or play the game again (too bad my PS2 is broken). Also, I wouldn't be surprised if you named your vassals Kakashi, Motoko, and Naruto. A large majority of the Disgaea fans are anime fans, who obviously have watched Naruto and Love Hina. Though I don't see anyone else in use Naruto (…yet), there are obviously people who use Kakashi and Motoko. Finally, your question about Yuki. First off, I'm changing his hair from red to white because of his name. The rest of him stays the same. So why am I changing the hair and why did I give him that name? Cuz, Yuki means 'snow' in Japanese of course. Also, I was originally naming him Kai, but I thought Yuki sounds better. However when I finally typed everything I forgot to change Yuki's hair again. And no he's not an angel who's gone demon, like Satan. He, like the mysterious man that I have to name later when he appears again, is an 'exception'. He is definitely an angel…but different from one. How? I'm not telling. I don't want to spoil it!

Anyway enough talk. Like I promised, today's episode would be directed more towards Etna.

**Disclaimer**: You know the drill. I don't own Disgaea.

**  
****Episode 4: An Inborn Secret (lalala!)**

All was quiet this morning as Flonne left her room to get outside again. As usual, she was wide awake and cheerful. However, this time she was waiting for someone. She was hoping to see that angel again. The one called Yuki. After all, it had been awhile since she had any interaction between Celestians, other than Katy. However, it felt like Yuki wasn't a Celestian. He definitely wasn't a Netherworld citizen and he couldn't be from Earth. _What is he?_

"Just a friend."

Flonne began to shriek again, and beat the crap out of the stalker. After a bit of mindless violence, it turned out to be the one the white haired angel she was looking for. "Yuki! I'm so sorry again…Yuki-san…"

"Don't worry about it, Flonne-chan." Yuki said as he patted her head. "I know you didn't mean it." Yuki looked over at the Netherworld. The place, once again, was brimming with life. "Demons…I've always hated demons…"

Flonne began to sniffle, as if she were about to cry. "That's mean! Demons aren't bad. A lot of my friends are demons! Besides, I'm a demon too!"

"Oh I'm sorry." Yuki replied apologetically. "I forgot that you were turned into a Fallen Angel…but are you really friends with demons? Most are so vile and cruel. They denounce everyone and everything."

Flonne shook her head in disgust. "That's not true! Not all demons are like that! My friends…are not like that at all. All of them have love in their hearts, which keep them going and make them stronger…just like any angel or human!"

Yuki chuckled. "Heh. So you do believe that demons have love?"

"Of course! Everyone has love in them, but don't want to show it. The Netherworld's Overlord, Laharl-san, is in a way, just as you say. He's definitely cruel and vile. (Laharl: HEY!!!!) …but…he does have love in his heart. He showed me that one time when we were in Celestia. Staying by my side at all times. Trying to protect me from danger. Even if he denounces it, he still has love. He even showed me that there are angels who are no better than demons. One such person is Archangel Vulcanus…"

Yuki stared into the sky. "Vulcanus, eh? I guess he was a jerk. Didn't really trust the guy. I just don't understand why Lamington kept him as his second in command."

Flonne's eyes began to shine. _So he is a Celestian! He wouldn't be one if he hadn't known Lamington-sama or even Vulcanus-san! _

Yuki began to turn to another direction. "I have to go now."

"Aw…but why?"

"I have some business to take care of…" Yuki pulled out one of his feathers and gave it to Flonne. Thesoft, delicate featherlaid on Flonne's hand."It's a present that I give to my friends. Giving them my feather is like giving them a part of me.It was nice meeting you again, Flonne-chan. I hope we meet again in the near future." Then all of a sudden, he disappeared, leaving Flonne dazed and confused, yet at the same time happy. She was glad to have met Yuki once again.

"One day I should introduce him to Laharl-san. I hope the two can get along though…I have a feeling Laharl-san will fight him." Flonne giggled and headed back to the Castle.

Meanwhile, Yuki was staring into the lava pit before him. He began to take out a flower. It was a tiger lily with a vicious black stem lined with thorns. He stared into the demonic flower and soon, began tearing it apart. Afterwards, he scattered the crushed flower into the lava pit. _Rest in… pieces, Vulcanus. Don't worry, I have something in store for the Overlord…Celestia, Earth, Netherworld…soon they all will collapse…_

…

Flonne hurried into the Castle. She knew that unless he was training with Etna, Laharl would be screaming for his breakfast. Flonne, obviously the cook, did not want to anger him early in the morning. _I hope Laharl-san isn't awake… _Suddenly, she ran smack into another person. She tumbled backwards and onto floor. Following afterwards was a book that fell on her face. Despite her dizziness, she was able to get a few words out of it. '_I've been wondering about my memories lately. I feel that there has been a large portion still missing. Did he really return all of it?' _That's when Flonne felt the book being lifted off her face. The person, who lifted it off, also helped her back on her feet.

Flonne bowed apologetically to the demon. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going, so I didn't know you were in front of me? I didn't hurt you, did I…um…who are you?"

"Flonne-chan, it's me Etna!" Flonne looked over the demon's features. It was Etna all right. Not many demons wear outfits as skimpy as hers. Maybe the reason why she didn't recognize her was because of her hair. She didn't have her done in pigtails. In fact, the bands the small black ribbons weren't on her, which made her hair loosen down. "Don't worry about it so much! I was in hurry too. I didn't see you around the kitchen in the morning, so I was trying to find. You know how the Prince is when it comes to breakfast."

"Yup!" The two giggled. That's when Flonne began to think about the book again. _That book. Is it Etna-san's diary? If it is then…is it really true? Are there still memories that she can't recall? _"Hey Etna-san, what's that your holding?"

"Oh this? It's my diary." Etna began staring at her suspiciously. "You didn't read any of it…did you?"

Flonne nervously giggled. "Of course not! I wouldn't do such a thing! Now I'd better run to the kitchen! I don't want Laharl-san to get angry! Bai!" Flonne fled to the kitchen, leaving Etna behind with a puzzled look.

"She definitely saw it…but I can't blame her for lying though. She's a demon now." Etna sighed. "But I wonder what page she read…" Etna shook it off and went back to her room. She took out her black ribbons and tied them onto her hair, forming her usual pigtails. She then placed her diary on her dimly lit table, as always. Not many people knew of her room. In fact the only person who knows the location of her room was Aramis. Not even Laharl knew where she resided. He was once close to discovering it, but Etna's 'bathroom excuse' always kept him from entering. She stared into her diary, hoping to get something out of it, but nothing came to mind. It seemed like she was missing something. _My diary…is my account of everything from the day I was the naïve, scared little girl…to now as the Prince's lead vassal…but…what about my family? What happened before that? I can't remember a single thing. All I know from back then is that I was holding a pet, until those demons killed him…and then came Overlord Krichevskoy. _She then began to touch the collar around her neck. The feeling of the leather, the metal hoop…it gave her a nostalgic feeling. _If I remember correctly, this was once my pet's collar. It's my only reminder of my childhood. Is there anything out there that will help me remember…? _Suddenly, a loud shout from near the throne room was heard. Etna smirked a bit and turned toward the door. _The Prince is hungry. Well I'd better get going…_

When Etna got there…

"BREAKFAST BREAKFAST BREAKFAST!!!!" Laharl was already seated, banging on the table as he awaited his meal. "HURRY UP IN THERE, LOVE FREAK!!!"

"Just a second!!!" In a few minutes, Flonne came out with some eggs, toast, juice, coffee and anything that had sugar, especially warheads. When you're a demon, especially an Overlord, you must be awake at all time during the day. Even though Laharl was clearly awake, he would get pissed if he didn't have his coffee and warheads in the morning. "Here you go, Laharl-san!"

Laharl looked over his food in delight. However, he noticed there was something missing. "Where's the bacon!?!"

"But we don't have any bacon!"

"Then fry up Hoggmeiser's son or something!"

"LAHARL-SAN!!!!" The two began to argue over bacon. Yes, bacon. Suddenly they heard someone giggle. They turned to the door. Etna was giggling near the door.

"You've become all housewife-ish, Flonne-chan! You two are such lovebirds! You even argue like a couple!"

"ETNA!!!!"

Etna just ignored their outburst and place her arm around Flonne, startling her a bit. "C'mon Flonne-chan, you like him, don't you?"

"E-etna-san…" Flonne stuttered.

"You know you like him!"

"W-well…I-I…" Flonne didn't know what to say. She was put in the most awkward of situations. She didn't know how to answer Etna. Just before she could say anything…

"QUIET YOU TWO!!! I'M EATING HERE!!!!" Laharl scolded the two, while gobbling up his food.

"LAHARL-SAN, DON'T CHEW WITH YOUR MOUTH OPEN!!!! STOP IT!!!!!!!"

"MAKE ME, LOVE FREAK!!!"

"LOVE AND PEACE!!!!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

…

Later…

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU USED MY OWN WEAKNESS AGAINST ME!!!!" Laharl yelled at Flonne for simply yelling 'Love and Peace' at him.

"Well maybe you should be more polite and watch how you eat!"

"I'm a demon!!! I can eat however I want!!!"

"And so am I!! You can't continue with these habits of yours!!!"

"So what if I do?"

"Love and Peace…"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" Laharl yelped in pain again. Flonne had one again used Laharl's 'weakness' against him. "THAT'S IT, LOVE FREAK!!!! YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THIS ONE!!!!!" Laharl charged at Flonne.

"EEP!!! LOVE AND PEACE!!!!" Flonne yelled out those two words, and instantly stopped Laharl in his tracks. But, Laharl still got up and charged after her. Flonne obviously tried to get away.

…

A few minutes and some platitudes and cussing later…

"I LIKE BUNNIES!!!!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! GET BACK HERE, LOVE FREAK!!!!"

"LOVE WILL PREVAIL!!!!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! I'M NOT LETTING YOU ESCAPE!!!!"

"LET'S BE FRIENDS!!!!!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! THAT WAS YOUR LAST ONE!!!! GET READY TO BE TERMINATED!!!!!" Laharl was now rushing at Flonne at full speed. Suddenly, he leaped at her, hoping to catch her before she got any further.

However, Flonne had one platitude left. "ETERNAL LOVE!!!!!!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" Laharl screamed in pain as possibly the most dreadful word in his vocabulary was said. He felt pretty sick at this point. However, he was still in the air and happened to bump into Flonne on the way. The two tumbled and crashed through a nearby door. Flonne opened her eyes. It was pretty dark in the room. The small bit of light that shone showed something very unusual.

"Laharl-san…?" Flonne saw Laharl right on top of her. She was blushing, thinking that there may have been something stirring in him. However, when she saw his face, she saw swirly eyes, indicating that he had only been knocked out. Even then, Flonne couldn't help but smile. "Aw…he looks so cute up close." She held onto Laharl and tried to get him up. She then saw a nearby bed. She brought him over there and placed him on the bed. She then saw something that caught her eye. She turned around and saw a book lying in the light. There was something familiar about it. "Isn't that…Etna-san's diary?" Suddenly, she heard the door swing open. The sound caught Laharl's ears and he too woke up. And soon, a familiar demon spoke.

"I don't mind you two making out and all…BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!?!"

"It's not what you—" Laharl looked around and noticed that Flonne was near the bed. "THERE YOU ARE, LOVE FREAK!!!! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN MAKE MINCE MEAT OUTTA YOU!!!" Soon there was a large commotion in the room. When everything was done, all three were on the floor panting. However, Etna bolted up ran over to Laharl. The diary was now on his face. She snatched back. As she snatched it back, however, a piece of paper fell from it.

"Look, what you did, Prince!!! You ripped a page out of my diary!!!!"

"WHY ARE YOU BLAMING THIS O—" Laharl's eyes suddenly peered over at the piece of paper. He glanced at it carefully. He turned to Etna and asked her, "Do you draw maps for fun in your diary?"

Etna, a bit confused, replied, "No. I don't draw maps or anything."

Laharl scratched his head. "Hm? Cuz this page seems to be a map of some sorts."

That caught Etna's attention. She didn't recall any map in it, nor did she ever make one. She snatched it from Laharl's hands. "Give me that!" The three huddled together, observing the map. "It looks like a map of…Glacial Terror!"

"What's Glacial Terror?" Flonne asked them.

Laharl replied, "It's the coldest point in the Netherworld. A connection of peaks, mountains, and caves. No other place in the Netherworld is as cold as that."

"Wait! Prince! Flonne-chan!! Take a look at this!" Two turned back to the map and noticed that Etna was pointing to something. It was an X. "An X! That means there's…"

"TREASURE!!!!!!" Laharl was so overjoyed that he already forgot his little conflict from earlier. "I'LL GET ALL THE VASSALS!!! WE'RE GONNA BE RICH!!!"

"But you're already rich…" Flonne added.

"Don't mind him." Etna told her. "But to think this was in my diary. I've had this diary for years. How could I not notice it?"

"Well maybe someone hid it in there. Whoever hid it must've wanted you to find it." Flonne began to notice a bit of writing. "Look over there! A message to you!"

Etna looked at where Flonne was pointing and read the message:

_Dear Etna,_

_You have finally found the map. I knew you'd find it one day. I'm sorry I couldn't simply give it to you because…well…I'm dead. If I had known it took you this long, I would've tried to give you directions as well. Unfortunately you must leave your pet behind, he will not make the journey. I know it sucks but you're gonna have to do it. I hope you grow into a strong girl one day. I'm sorry for not being there. Please continue to live._

_Sincerely…_

"Damn, I can't read the name." Etna pouted. "But who wrote this? Who stuck this map in my diary?"

Flonne told her, "Well whoever it is, must care deeply about you. In that case, we have to find that treasure."

"You're right! Let's go!"

…

About an hour later, Laharl's group arrived at Glacial Terror. Just as they said, the temperature of Glacial Terror is unbearable. Those who thought Joutenheim and other snow-covered areas were cold haven't seen anything said. Ice spiked out of the ground. Snow covered the entire place. Some of the ice walls were harder than even the hardest of metals. It was a place one should be very cautious when traveling. However…

"AARRGGGGGGGGH!!! WE'RE GOING TO FIND THE TREASURE!!!!" Hiroshi, our playful thief, exclaimed with a patch over his eye and pirate hat.He began to swing his arm like any dancing pirate would."LET'S GET A SONG GOING SCOUT!!!!"

"Aye aye captain!!!" Naruto replied. He also had an eye patch over his eye. He brought out his harmonic and played a small note.Then..."YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO!!!!"

"SHUT UP!!!!!" Laharl was obviously annoyed. This song wastoo retarded and too loud for him to ignore."Yell too loud and you may find yourself buried in snow!"

"I think you should be the one watching out for yourself, Prince." Etna replied.

"But look!" Laharl pointed to all the other demons. It seems the 'Pirate disease' was pretty contagious, as everyone began singing that retarded two-word song.

"YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO!!"

"MAKE THEM STOP!!!!"

"Forget them, let's go find that treasure." And so our favorite demons hurry off to find the lost treasure of…well…it's a lost treasure.

…

Meanwhile, two other demons began to search all over for the treasure. Ironically…

"YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO YO HO!!!" One of the demons was singing that retarded song too.

"Honey, that song is giving me a headache already…" Kirei complained. "Stop it!"

"But it's so catchy!" Mid Boss moaned, continuing to sing the song.

Kirei sighed. "Look, we're not out here to sing. We're here to find that treasure of your former friend and rival, so stop screwing around, Mid Boss."

"I know that! I just—wait…did you just call me, Mid Boss?"

"Well yeah. Laharl and everyone else call you 'Mid Boss'. It sounds better than call you, Dark Adonis."

"You know you could've used Vyers…" Mid Boss pouted.

Kirei giggled. "I know."

…

"Hey Prince…"

"Yeah…"

"…that song is getting way too annoying…" They've been walking fifty paces already, but the song kept going. The farther they went, the louder the song got.

Laharl couldn't take anymore. "WOULD YOU GUYS SHUT UP!!!"

"But Laharl-san, it's catchy song!" Flonne whined.

"It's not even a song! You're just going 'YO HO YO HO YO HO!"

"But it is kinda addictive." Steilhang replied.

"YOU TOO, STEILHANG!!!!"

"C'mon Laharl-san, sing with us!"

"I'd rather not."

"Shut up everyone." Etna demanded. She glanced at the map, and then surveyed the area. After analying their current position, Etna pointed westward. "Fifty more paces West!" Everyone groaned, but continued anyway.

"I hope these fifty paces are worth it…" Laharl muttered.

Flonne noticed that Etna has been a lot more determined lately. Of course when getting rich is involved, any demon would be determined to find it, but there was something different about Etna. Flonne decided to walk up to Etna and ask her, "Did you talk to Maderas?"

There was now gloom on Etna's face. "…you read my diary…"

"O-of c-course not! Why would I—

Etna giggled. "Flonne-chan, you may be a demon you're horrible liar." Flonne began to frown. "Don't worry, I'm not mad. In fact I'm glad you helped me find this map. If it weren't for you guys I would've never gotten this."

"But it was Laharl-san who found it."

"I know, but he wouldn't have found it you hadn't brought him to my room…though now my room is no longer a secret thanks to you two…"

"Sorry."

"No, it's alright. Like I said, I'm not mad." Etna closed her eyes and sighed. There was a frown on her face. "But about that last question…yes I asked Maderas about my memories. This is what happened…

**Flashback**

"Now fang face, listen up! Tell me the truth!!!!!" Etna grabbed Maderas by the collar waving him high off the ground. "If you don't tell me the truth now, the next time you see me, you'll be a Prinny!!!"

"But Etona, you havan't asked the question!"

"Oh! Silly me!" But Etna kept waving her spear viciously in front of him. "I'm giving you five seconds to answer. You'd better give the right answer. Now tell me: did you return all my memories?" Maderas paused for a bit. Etna kept counting. "One…two…" Suddenly, she thrusted her spear at Maderas, missing him only by a centimeter.

"THAT VWAS ONLY TWO!!"

"That was a warning! Now answer fang face!"

Maderas made her loosen her grip on him and turned away and replied, "I hav returned all the memories I hav taken that time. I promised you that vwhen you took pity on me, didn't I?"

"Liar!!"

"I'm not lying. Don't you remember long ago vwhen Krichevskoy vwas alive? I believe I asked you 'vwho's the demon vwho raised this lil brat?' I'm sure you remember vwhat you told me."

Etna's eyes widened for a second. She bowed her head and muttered."I said…'…I don't know…I don't have parents…'"

"Good, now leave me be!!!" Maderas left, leaving Etna to contemplate on what she's going to do.

_I hate to admit, but he's right. I did say that I didn't know who my parents where. So…even after getting back my memories from Maderas, I still have memories that are hidden. I have to find them. The only to find them… _Etna glanced at the piece of rolled up paper in her hands. She opened them and examined where she needed to go. _…is to go to Glacial Terror. We have to find that treasure._

**End of Flashback**

"So yeah, that's what happened." Etna heard some sniffling. She turned to Flonne. There were tears in her eyes.

"That's s-so sad…you must havebeen so lonesome…you don't even know who your parents are…"

"Flonne-chan, stop crying. It's embarrassing. You don't need to cry for me."

"But you see…I…" Before she could say anything, Etna placed a finger in front of Flonne.

"C'mon, it's alright. At this point, we need to find the treasure. Oh look! We're close!!"

"FINALLY!!!!" Laharl exasperated. "I'M TIRED OF WALKING!!! LET'S GO DIG IT UP!!!!" The team ran towards where the treasure should be. Success was shinning on them…for a few minutes… "Etna…?"

"Yes Prince?"

"DON'T TELL ME THE TREASURE IS DOWN THERE!!!!" Laharl pointed down to the large ice canyon. There was no visible bottom at all. It seemed that if one would fall into it, he would be falling forever. Then again, that person would probably freeze to death before he'd even realize that.

"I don't understand." Etna checked the map again. "It should be on solid ground. This can't be it!"

"Etna-san, we've got a serious problem!" Aramis exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"Them…" Aramis pointed to the sky. Large dargons were flying fiercly above them.

"DRAGONS!?!?!?!" The dragons swooped down on the team. Laharl ordered all Magic and Missile demons to keep the beasts at bay with their magic and projectiles. Meanwhile Etna kept going over the map, trying to see what was wrong. She then handed the map to Kurtis.

"Maybe I have something in my pouch that can analyze our current position." Kurtis fished through his pouch, hoping to find something. Then…

"Oh here's the problem." Hiroshi said, holding up the map. He began to turn the map the other way."You're holding the map the other way."

Naruto ran up to Hiroshi and checked the map too. "Yeah, and looking at where we are, we're supposed to be going two hundred paces **West**."

"How did you two—"

"We've been deployed on search-and-destroy/steal missions before we became Laharl's vassals, so we've been taught how to use a map 'properly'."

"Wow, that helped a lot."

"Thank you." Flonne turned to everyone and yelled, "We've found the problem! We need to go two hundred paces east!"

A vein began to bulge on Laharl's forehead. "TWO HUNDRED PACES EAST!!!! YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!!"

"Well do you wanna be stuck fighting off these dragons?"

"Well…no not really." Laharl began to groan. "DAMNIT!!! HOW THE HELL ARE WE GONNA GET THERE!?!?!?!?!?!"

"SHUT UP, PRINCE!!!! DO YOU WANT TO GET US ALL KILLED!?!" Maybe Laharl didn't want to get his own vassals killed, or at least himself, but because of the large screams, a bit of snow began to fall. Soon, that snow turned into a wave of snow. And soon it became something else… "AVALANCHE!!!!!" Everyone panicked and raced away from avalanche, leaving the dragons to wallow in the snow.

"We were just going to take Etna-san to the treasure…" The dragons muttered to themselves.

Laharl and the others tried to outrun the avalanche, but soon it caught up with them and they were engulfed in snow. They tumbled and tumbled to no end. It felt like they were going to die in the snow. When it was all over, everyone was silent. Not one head poked up from snow. Then two demons shot up from the snow and yelled…

"LET'S DO THAT AGAIN!!!!" Laharl gave Flonne and Etna a murderous glare. "What?"

"Never mind. Where are we? Hey, Naruto! Hiroshi! Check the map!!"

The two nodded and examined the map again. They were in an icy cave. The avalanche had brought them beneath the surface. After much calculation, Hiroshi came to one conclusion. "The treasure is right behind that big door over there."

"Wow…I didn't think it'd be that easy." Etna said.

"I guess we have to thank the avalanche." Flonne added.

"Oh well. Let's get that treasure!!!" Laharl ran to the door and knocked it over. Everyone rushed inside. There was a treasure chest. "There it is!!!"

Before Laharl could run in, Etna restrained him. "Great…we've got company…"

"That is right, dood!!! Before we award you with your treasure, you must prove your worth!!!" Soon, three large Prinnies fell from the sky…falling on top of each other. Clumsy little things. "Dood..."

"So these are the bodyguards of the treasure…pathetic…" Laharl brandished his sword and charged at the Prinnies.

"Prinny Raid, dood!!!" Suddenly, volleys of Prinnies shot out at Laharl. He was able to dodge time.

"Shit…they can summon Prinnies…"

"Prince…let me handle this." Etna stepped forward from the team and approached the Prinnies. Laharl obviously objected to the idea.

"You don't tell me what to do!!! I'll—"

Before he could say anything else, Flonne grabbed him and kept him down. "This is Etna-san's moment. Please stay out of it."

Etna stopped ten feet away from the Prinnies. "Move aside."

"We will not, dood! We've reserved this treasure for our master! Our master has told us to protect it until the day another of his blood will comes for it, dood!!"

"Then I'll have to take it by force!!!!" Etna snapped her fingers. Prinnies began to spiral over her head. "Prinny Raid!!!!" In an instant, waves of Prinnies shot toward the Prinny bodyguards. The Prinnies were taken by surprise.

"Is she…" Prinny Raid exploded in the Bodyguards faces. The guards fell back, black and charred.

Etna stood before them. "I'm here for my treasure and you're not going to stop me!"

"Don't worry, we have no intention now that we know who you are…"

"Eh?"

The Prinnies stood up. "We did realize it until you used Prinny Raid on us. Not many demons have that power, dood. It is true. You must be Etna-san. We've been waiting all this time for you to come. What took you so long?"

Etna shrugged. "Well whoever gave me the treasure map, put it where I couldn't find it."

"Well at least you're here now, dood. Come. Let us escort you to your treasure."

There was a puzzled look on Etna's face, but she shook it off. After all, there was no need to fight anymore. "Alright, let's go get that treasure." Everyone followed her in. Suddenly…

"I see. So we weren't the only one's looking for the treasure."

Laharl cringed. "Not this fool again."

Soon, a figure dropped from sky and began to pose. "Where there is treasure this handsome creature shall find it. And if he finds it, it will only enhance his beauty for he and his partner are beautiful. Who are we? We are…THE DUO OF BEAUTY AND DARKNESS!!!!" Suddenly light began to shine, illuminating the figure. Mid Boss. "I, the Dark Adonis, shall apprehend the riches…Kirei, you're supposed to go next. Kirei?" However it seems that Kirei was asleep on his back.

"Heh. You're nothing against all of us, Mid Boss." Laharl said.

"You have seen nothing yet, young Overlord! I have my—" Before he could finish, something crashed through the ceiling and fell on top of him. It was the dragon from earlier.

"Well that was easy enough. Let's get that treasure!" Everyone nodded and rushed to the treasure chest. Laharl rubbed his hands together with delight. "I can't wait to see how much we're gonna have after this." Laharl peered into the chest. Everyone waited in suspense. That's when Laharl turned to everyone, disgust written all over his face. "THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE!!!!"

"What!?!" Etna was dumbfounded. After all this, there was no treasure. "How could this be!?!"

"Um…Etna-san. There's something else you forgot to read." Flonne showed her the message once again. There was one thing she missed and it went something like this:

_P.S. While this is a treasure map, there is no actual 'treasure' in the chest. But you may find something worth gaining from this._

"WHAT!?!" Laharl began to cuss out. He had enough of this. After all the time he wasted, he did it for nothing. As the other vassals tried to control him, Flonne noticed something else in the chest.

"Etna-san, look. I found a photograph." She handed it to Etna.

Etna glanced at the photo and was so shocked that she covered her mouth. There were two older demons on the photo. One of the demons was holding a younger demon. A young red haired girl wearing a skimpy outfit. There was no doubt in Etna's mind who this was. There was another message on the photo. It read:

_Dear Etna,_

_I'm glad you have found it. I'm sorry if you were expecting treasure, but I wanted you to see this. I'm sure you have forgotten me, and that's okay. I just wanted you to be reminded of your past. If you pick up the treasure chest, you'll find the family heirloom. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I hope Krichevskoy treated you just as I would. Continue to grow into a strong demon. _

_Love…your father_

"…my father?" Etna decided to pick up the treasure chest. There it was. A majestic spear. The shaft was made of gold, while the spearhead was a diamond. A powerful energy was swirling over it. Etna held it and it was then that she felt something nostalgic. Some memories began to return to her. "I remember. My father…said he needed to leave for a bit and left me…but he never returned…"

"Etna-san…"

"That was because he died in attempt to gain the title of Overlord." Mid Boss said, coming out of the debris. He was holding Kirei in his arms, who was still sleeping.

"Gaining the title of the Overlord?"

"Yes." Mid Boss replied. "He said that he needed the title in order to help his daughter. So he left her and tried to gain the title of Overlord. During that time, when the original Overlord proclaimed that he would resign, many fought for the position. It then came down to two. Your father…and the last Overlord, King Krichevskoy."

**Flashback**

Everyone crowded around the arena. Two warriors were about to confront each other in a fight to the finish. The current Overlord stood by the arena. "This is it. He who wins this battle shall be the new Overlord. You may begin."

One demon brandished his spear and pointed it at the other. "Krichevskoy, I have no ill feelings towards you, but as one determined to become Overlord, you shall die here."

"The same goes for me. Let's go!"

After all the fighting was done, the other demon lay in a pool of blood. Krichevskoy was about to turn away, but then…

"Wait Krichevskoy. Please kill me. I'm of no use anymore." Etna's father weakly said.

"Don't say that. You don't have to die. You ca—"

But he refused to listen to Krichevskoy. "Krichevskoy…you are a powerful demon. It is only right that you take up the throne. As for me, the loser, I must die as a warrior. My pride comes before my life. I honorably accept my death. Now do it, Krichevskoy or I shall do it myself."

Krichevskoy hesitated. He couldn't bear to take the life of an honorable demon.

"One last thing. I don't care if you listen to me…but please find my daughter and—"

"and make her the next Overlord? I wish I could but—"

"No not that…take her in as a vassal and treat her like your own…I hope she grows into a strong demon…"

"What is the young demon's name?" Krichevskoy finally asked.

The demon coughed before answering in his last breath. "Etna…" Soon afterward, Krichevskoy killed him. The demon lay motionless in a pool of blood. Krichevskoy gazed into the red moon glowing above him. He let out a sigh.

_'He who spills the blood of an honorable man feels the pain and suffering of that man's life.' …I must find Etna-chan…_

**End of Flashback**

Etna bowed her head. "I see. That's why he couldn't come back…and…that's why King Krichevskoy took me in. My father couldn't come back to me empty handed and so…asked him to take care of me. It all makes sense now. Why I've been treated so kindly…"

Mid Boss interjected. "It's not just because of that promise. Krichevskoy felt so much guilt in taking your father's life. To raise the daughter of the demon he killed. It's because of that he took care in raising you to be the girl you are today." Etna continued to bow her head. In a quick flash, Flonne saw a small tear drops dripping from her face.

"Etna-san…"

In a few minutes, Etna turned around slowly. A large smirk was on her face. "We got what we wanted. Let's go."

There was no real treasure to Laharl, but he didn't complain. Not after hearing all that. "Right. Alright everyone, let's get back to the Castle." Laharl paused for a second and turned to Mid Boss. "But I wonder…how do you know all this?"

"Well…I just happened to have…you know passed through the area when Krichevskoy was on his path to become the Overlord! Yeah that's right! After all, THERE IS NOTHING THE DARK ADONIS KNOWS!!!!" Mid Boss began to walk out of the place. Suddenly, "Wah!" heslipped on the ice, and slid to who knows where.

"'cept know how to stand upright…" Laharl muttered. "Alright everyone's lets go."

The Prinnies bodyguards followed close behind Etna. "We shall follow you back to the Castle, dood. Now that we have fulfilled our duties, we shall stick by you, Etna-san."

Etna's Prinnies groaned. "Those dudes don't know what they're getting into, dood…" Etna soon whacked the Prinnies. She obviously heard them.

"Looks like Etna-san back to her old self." Flonne cheered.

Laharl agreed. "Yeah, that didn't take too long."

…

Later at the Castle, Laharl and Flonne were walking together down the hall of the throne room.

"So Etna lost her parents too…" Laharl said. He turned to Flonne and asked her, "Have you ever lost your parents?"

Flonne paused for a minute. She bowed her head, letting out a sigh. There was obviously gloom in her answer."I didn't even have parents to lose…"

"You never had any?"

"Only the Seraph took care of me. He treated me like a father would…but he isn't my biological father. Sometimes I wonder if I would be different if I had a normal angel as my father. Would I be able to love demons and humans as well as angels? Would I hate demons as a whole?" Flonne continued to bow her head.

"Is that all?" Flonne nodded. Laharl screamed back, "You ditz! Who cares about what would happen to your life? It's true that knowing your parents would be a good thing, but no matter whathappened back thenyou are who you are now. You don't hate demons. You don't think humans are stupid. You are the Love Freak we all care about! Got that!"

Flonne looked up at Laharl. She could see the determination in his eyes. He was indeed telling the truth. No matter what would've happened she's still herself. Flonne smiled and nodded. "Right." Flonne began to ask Laharl another question. "Laharl-san…you care about me too?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just asking. I want to know…I mean…do you even like me at all? Do you really care about me?"

Laharl thought about it for a minute. After all, this was Laharlshe was asking. He didn't necessarily hate Flonne, but to wonder if he really cared about her.After awhile, Laharl finally replied, "Yeah I do. I wouldn't have tried to kill the Seraph if I didn't." That's when Flonne began to cry. "What is it now, Love Freak!?!"

"I'm just so happy that you would really care about me."

"Well okay, but you didn't have to cry."

"But it makes me so happy." Suddenly, Flonne wrapped her arms tightlyaround Laharl, almost choking him. "Because I care about you too."

Laharl was struggling to get out of Flonne's grip. Not only was she hugging him so tightly, but the incense on her made him feel so nauseated…yet at the same time intoxicated by her alluring scent. "Flonne…please let go of me…you're making me sick…"

"But Laharl-san…it feels so good huggling you."

"I don't care…let me go…I'm gonna besick!"

Flonne pouted. "Fine!" She finally released him.

"Sorry."

"No, it's alright. I just…" Suddenly the two heard a loudexplosion from down the hall. The ground began to shake.

"What was that? It sounded like it was coming from…"

"MY ROOM!!!!" Flonne yelled in fear. She rushed down the hall towards her room. Laharl followed in pursuit. They then heard Etna's voice echoing from the halls.

"Prince!!!!"

When they finally got there, the room was completely trashed. Debris was scattered all over. Rock and wood cluttered around the large hole in the wall. In that hole was a metallic vehicle with very complicated gadgetry. Finally a head poked from above the ship. It's hair was brown and combed back. Soon the 'handsome man' jumped out of the vehicle. He wore a large gray trench coat. The man posed majestically with light shinning behind him.

"Did you miss me young Overlord? I have come back to fulfill my jobfor I am Gordon,once Defendeeeeeer of Earth now'Slayeeeeeeeeeeeeer of the Netherworld'!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

"…Gordon's back…"

**episode end**

* * *

**Next episode**

Etna: Sent in by a secret organization, the sexiest spy of all time enters the confines of a heavily armed fortress.

Mid Boss: Sexy? Not as sexy as moi!

Etna: With nothing but the bare essentials, this spy uses her graceful skills to take out the fortress' dangerous weapons and mercenaries.

Mid Boss: There is nothing more dangerous than moi! Nothing!!! I am also more graceful than anything!

Etna: But she must hurry! For if she doesn't finish her mission in time, the 'Stupid Love' virus shall spread all over the Netherworld! And there is NO cure!!!

Mid Boss: There is nothing more stupid than m—HEY!!!

Etna: Next time on **Glamorous Spy Etna: Splintered Love! **Watch your back. I might get you!!!

Mid Boss: You can never get me for I, the Dark Adonis, cannot be caught!!! ::banana peel slip noise::

Kirei: Though you do screw up sometimes. Hey I'm on Etna-chan's show!!

* * *

Yeah it feels kinda rushed, not to mention that retarded 'YO HO' scene took up a lot of space. Well at least it's finished, hope you enjoy it. And yes, Gordon, Jennifer, and Thursday have returned. Why? Read the next chapter! Ja! 


	5. The Explosive Return

**Author's notes: **After looking at the Disgaea sections, you may notice that one of my fics is missing. That's right. Etna's Makai Infomercial has been deleted due to the poor thinking of the Admin. And wanna know what shows this? They won't even respond to the e-mail I sent them.

But I won't that get me down. I should get back to the fic. As you all remember, Gordon made a very explosive appearance. He also made Laharl very explosive…in a different way. Oh and don't worry, that small portion is just lime and that's allowed (for all you rats). It's not a lemon. Wait and see what comes next.

**Disclaimer: **I'm following the rules. I'm stating that I don't own Disgaea. Happy?

**

* * *

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**Episode 5:** **The Explosive Return** (LALA-BOOM! Well that was certainly different.)

Earth. The world in which humans reside in. Humans often times do not have as much power as angels and demons. Sure there were some that could rival many angels and demons, like powerful priests, fierce warriors, wise wizards, and busty girl with french names that could kick people in the balls, but many were incredibly weak. Their only power lies in their intelligence to create weapons of mass destruction. Entire stocks of missiles that could destroy Earth ten times over. Powerful cannons and ships that once gave the Overlord of the Netherworld a run for his money. Those who create and wield such power often abuse it. However, humans are usually very ignorant and one-sided. They usually choose to make allegiance to whoever is strongest in their eyes. While that is true with most races, humans are so weak that they have to depend on someone else. However, there are some humans that do not follow orders, like weak humans, or have ambitions that could cast away the entire human race, such as evil generals and tyrannical kings. Two such humans…are currently dead.

Yes, dead. Those two, tucked away in their coffins, were being hauled down the street. There were some who weeped, for these two were true heroes, defenders of justice and truth. Other breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, they were a pain to some. And then a few laughed mockingly at the coffins. Yes, there were those who were happy to see them die. No matter who was mourning or mocking them, there was thing that was for sure: they died in glory.

Reporters from all over the Earth broadcasted this terrible tragedy. After all, they have lost two great humans.

'It seemed like these two would be with us forever. We took that for granted that one day. Their deaths will always be remembered. They will always remain in our hearts, but for now, let us say goodbye to our dear heroes. Farewell, Captain Gordon and Jennifer…brave Defenders of Earth.'

Captain Gordon pounded his fist onto the table. Gordon was wearing a large gray trenchcoat and had combed back hair, quite different from the space suit he wore going to the Netherworld. He obviously thought that it would make him suave and cool. Not the case for most people, especially those who know of his personality. "That's it? Can you believe it Jennifer? No shots of our adventures! No fireworks or big symbols of our fall! Not even a Takoyaki festival! The least they could've done was hold a Takoyaki festival!"

The blonde woman, Jennifer, came up to the man and turned off the TV. Jennifer was an incredibly busty woman which whom many wanted to either have or at least play around with. However, she is set on staying with Gordon, since they are both Defenders of Earth as well as something else. Besides, she's a smart and intelligent scientist that developed many of the gadgets, weapons, machines, and vehicles they use on their adventures. She was wearing a white lab coat and a pair of glasses, a little different from her metallic bra from before. "Well what good is a Takoyaki festival? You won't be there to have any takoyaki!"

Gordon crossed his arms and began to think. Soon, the halls were inexplainably filled with Jepordy music. Gordon wasn't exactly what you would call smart. Finally, his light bulb lit. "Oh yeah! Silly me! How would I be able to eat takoyaki if I'm not there?"

A nearby robot began to make beeping sound. "Blip bleep…Captain Gordon is not the brightest bulb in the bunch. Run Jennifer before he infects you with his stupid-ness!"

"SHUT UP THURSDAY!" Gordon scolded him. Thursday was their helpful all purpose robot. His ability to scan data as well as his defense systems have brought Gordon and Jennifer out of the stickiest situations. Jennifer giggled as the two began to fight and yell. Suddenly, another man appeared before them. Gordon instantly recognized him. "Ah Jack, are you here to see us off?"

Jack nodded. "I just want to drop by and wish off the now 'deceased' Defenders of Earth. Oh and I brought you this." Jack handed Gordon ten bento boxes. "These boxes contain takoyaki for the two of you. It should last about a week, considering you don't eat them all before the getting over there."

Gordon's mouth watered over the delectable dishes, but kept his composure and thanked Jack. "Thank you, Major Jack. Or should I say Captain Jack, the 40th Defender of Earth!"

Jack chuckled a bit. "Yes. Thank you for bestowing this title onto me Captain Gordon, the now deceased 37th Defender of Earth. Which reminds me, if you're the 37th and Jennifer's the 39th, then who is the 38th of Earth?"

"Ah yes. That's because I named Kurtis the 38th before he died." That was true. In order to return Jennifer back to normal, Kurtis risked his life by destroying himself. In his last moments, Gordon named his rival, yet comrade, the 38th Defender of Earth. Currently, Kurtis is serving under the Overlord as a Prinny. What is so ironic is… "We should get going. We've got a job to do." …Captain Gordon will be serving under the Overlord as well.

As the Defenders boarded the ship, Jack ran to Gordon and asked, "One more thing, Gordon. Why did you decide to announce your death? Why are you resigning the position of Defender of Earth? Why are you going to the Netherworld?"

Gordon simply flashed his bright 'heroic' smile and simply said, "As I've said before…we've got a job to do."

Gordon walked into the ship. This ship was at the pinnacle of technology. No one knows that technology has gotten this far though. After all, most military advances were kept in secret. Gordon sat in his special chair and noticed the little tea kettle near him. He poured it into his cup and sipped the hot drink. "Mmmm. Nothing beats a nice cup of tea before an adventure. Jennifer, are we ready to go!"

"Hai! Gordon!" Jennifer pulled a lever and soon the ship began to shake. The machine beeped all sorts of sounds and light began to flicker. Jennifer checked off all procedures of ignition. "Initial check says its A-okay! Thursday, found anything to report?"

"Blip Beep Beep. Thusday detects no threat to system. Ship is ready for take off."

"Understood. Looks like our ride may be a smooth one. Now Jennifer it is time! BLAST OFF!"

"BLAST OFF!" Jennifer pulled another lever and soon the ship left the base and into the sky and out of Earth's atmosphere.

"Here we go! Another adventure for Captain Gordon, once Defeeeender of Earth now 'Slayeeeeer of the Netherworld'! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

About an hour later into hyperdrive…

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Gordon, you're acting like a child! Stop it!"

"But it's taking forever…" Gordon whinned. It was true. Accompanied by his lack of intelligence comes his more immature personality. Sure he _acted _dignified and all, but he's more of a kid. In fact, while many demons wouldn't admit it, Laharl was much more mature than he is. Laharl may be a couple of thousand years older, but he's far more mature and intelligent than the Defender of Earth.

"Shut up and just drink tea or something blip beep!"

Gordon sighed. "But seriously, even if it was a crash landing, it didn't take us too long to get to the Netherworld. So why, with our newly enhanced ship I might add, is it taking us too long?"

Jennifer shook her head and said, "First of all, it's only been an hour. Second, we don't have any leads to the Netherworld. No matter how much we look, we won't find that portal we went through to get to the Netherworld."

"Impossible. The EDF sent us there and we—"

"Exactly. We were only able to get there thanks to the EDF. Remember, they were working with Vulcanus and other angels to get the Netherworld. Vulcanus opened up the portal so that we could get in. We where sent to make sure it didn't cause any ill effects."

Gordon thought about it for about a few minutes. Finally, he said, "I don't get it…but okay. Still, how are we gonna get there now if there's no portal?"

"Thursday has an idea." Thursday beeped. "Thursday senses diminishing portal in front of ship. Fire ALL weapons into portal. The energy should jump start the portal and then we can get in."

"Well it's worth a shot." Gordon turned to Jennifer. "Jennifer, fire all weapons."

"You got it, Gordon!" Jennifer switched on all weapons and fired it into the portal. Just as Thursday said, the portal opened. "We did it!"

"Finally, we can go in!"

Suddenly, Thursday began to beep wildly. "BEEP BLIP BEEP! TURN ALL BOOSTERS TO MAXIMUM! THE PORTAL WILL ONLY OPEN FOR A FEW SECONDS!"

"But why?"

"JUST DO IT!"

"Okay okay! Jennifer!"

"I know! Firing engines at full power!" Jennifer initiated the program, and soon the ship flew safely into the portal. "We made it!"

All of a sudden, Gordon appeared beside her and asked, "Can I drive? Please oh please oh please!"

"You don't have to beg Gordon! Here take it." Jennifer left her seat and Gordon began to drive. Ironically, he wasn't that bad of a driver. In fact, he was so good that he hadn't hit anything…yet.

"It must be the end of the world." Thursday sarcastically beeped. "Gordon can actually drive."

"Shut up Thursday! I should inform you that I was once a racer in my prime!"

"Um…Gordon, where are we going?" Jennifer interjected.

"To the Overlord's Castle of course!"

"But, what about our landing?"

"What landing?"

"I mean…" That's when Jennifer's eyes shot wide open. There was only one reason why Gordon would drive. "Gordon…you wouldn't…"

"Well we have to make an 'explosive' entrance!"

Thursday beeped and began to make the sign of the cross with his mechanical arms. "He would…"

"HERE WE COME OVELORD!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

**end of flashback**

"And that's how we got here! So what do you think? Wasn't our entrance explosive?" Gordon grinned. However, not everyone was pleased, especially Laharl, who grabbed him and started wringing his neck.

"THE ONLY THING THAT'S EXPLOSIVE IS GONNA BE YOU ONCE I'M THROUGH WITH YOU! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU GRINNING WHEN YOU JUST MADE A LARGE HOLE IN MY CASTLE? THIS CASTLE HAS BEEN HERE MUCH LONGER THAN YOUR PATHETIC RACE AND YET YOU DENT IT IN SECONDS!"

"C-calm down, Overlord! It's just a room. I mean who uses this room."

"Her…" Laharl replied, pointing to Flonne.

"Oh no, where am I gonna sleep tonight?" Flonne's room had to pay the price, due to Gordon's flashy entrance. She pondered on what she was going to do. She then turned to Laharl. "Laharl-san, can you get me another room?"

Laharl shook his head. "We have a lot of vassals now in the Castle. Now that Jennifer, Thursday, and the 'Screw up of Earth' showed up, we'll have to give them the last room. You're gonna have to sleep with someone else."

"Aw…"

That's when Etna got a brilliant idea. Her mischievous grin always hinted at trouble. "Oh Prince, you wouldn't be suggesting that just so you can get Flonne-chan in your room, would you?"

Laharl's face flushed in a bright reddish color. As usual, he denied it. "YOU FOOL, I WAS ONLY SUGGESTING THAT SOMEONE ELSE ROOM WITH THE LOVE FREAK!"

Jennifer caught on, and joined in the teasing. "Oooh, does Laharl-chan have the hots for Flonne-chan?"

Laharl gritted his teeth. His urge to grind them all into dust was rising. "I DO NOT! AND STOP CALLING ME 'LAHARL-CHAN'!" Laharl turned to Gordon, who was obviously at fault for all these events. "Gordon, as your Overlord, I command you to fix this room up!"

"WHAT? BUT I THOUGHT I WAS 'SLAYER OF THE NETHERWORLD'?"

"Being a 'Slayer' doesn't let you escape from my orders, now do it! Start by cleaning all this up!"

Gordon grumbled and picked up some of the debris. Then Kurtis arrived.

"Overlord, there's been some news abo—WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE!"

Laharl sighed. "Why don't you ask Captain Moron, Spaz of the Netherworld…"

"THAT'S SLAYER!"

Kurtis sighed as well. "Great…just what I needed. My rival comes in and tries to make his dramatic entrance."

"I DID MAKE A DRAMAT—" Before Gordon could respond, Laharl smashed his head to the ground.

"KEEP QUIET AND START WORKING!"

Jennifer giggled and helped Gordon up. "Don't worry Gordon, I'll help you out. Thursday will too, right?"

Thursday made a low beeping noise, indicating he was reluctant to do it but decided to help anyway. "Agreed. Thursday will help Gordon and Jennifer."

Kurtis shook his head. "Oh well…I might as well join in."

So far things were getting a little better for Laharl, but there was still one thing that they had to solve. "Alright, we'd better find Flonne someone to room with!"

Suddenly, all the girl vassals came up to Laharl, one by one, requesting Flonne to stay in their rooms. Of course this turned into an uproar.

"Oh c'mon Hazuki! I want Flonne to stay with me and Steilhang!" Sarah whined.

"But at least you get to stay with Steilhang!" Hazuki snapped back. "I have to stay with Naruto and he's soooo annoying!"

"But I wanna play with her all night!" Trinity whined. The other female in the room, Motoko, didn't respond at all.

"What do you think, Motoko-san?" Flonne asked her.

"Hm? I really don't if you choose to stay with me." Motoko calmly replied. "If it's your choice then go right ahead."

However, the other three saw her calm demeanor as something else. "YOU JUST WANNA MAKE YOURSELF LOOK COOL SO SHE COULD STAY WITH YOU!" Motoko didn't snap back or anything. She just gave them her murderous hitokiri like glare. The type of glare that samurai give that says 'I'll kill you', which scared off the girls.

Etna, of course, had something else planned. "Now now. Settle down. How about rock-paper-scissors for it? Winner gets to choose where Flonne-chan sleeps."

"Okay!" The four girls huddled around each other. They kept waving their fists, ready to throw out a winning hand. Motoko just sneered at them.

"Idiots…"

Rock

Paper

Scissors

"SHOOT!" All four threw out their hands. The game ended in one scissor winning against three papers. Etna grinned.

"Looks like I won." The others groaned over their defeat. However Etna had something else in store for Flonne. She went to Flonne and said to her, "Okay, pack your bags and go to the Prince's room."

Flonne tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Uh…Laharl-san's room…?"

Laharl overheard and was now in disbelief. "WHAT? YOU WON! SHE STAYS IN YOUR ROOM!"

Etna shook her head. "On the contrary. I said 'whoever wins chooses who Flonne-chan sleeps with.' That means I can choose whoever she stays with."

"NO WAY! NEVER! I'LL NEVER LET HER SLEEP WITH ME! THERE'S NO WAY I'M LETTING THE LOVE FREAK STAY WITH ME!"

Few minutes later in Laharl's room…

"I can't believe I'm letting the Love Freak stay with me…" Laharl groaned. In the end, he lost the argument and agreed to let Flonne sleep with him.

"Oh c'mon Laharl-san! It'll be fun!"

Laharl gritted his teeth and jumped into his coffin. "This is my bed alright! This is entire room is my room! Get that through your tiny brain and go to sleep!"

Flonne, not listening to him, jumped into Laharl's coffin and lay beside him. "It so nice and comfy in here!"

Laharl didn't say anything. All he did was grab Flonne chuck her at the small makeshift bed he brought in. "GO TO SLEEP!"

"Alright. Don't get so grumpy." Before she went to bed, she patted Laharl on the head. "Oyasumi, Laharl-san."

"Yeah whatever. G'night, Flonne…" Laharl grumbled. He quickly grabbed the coffin lid and slammed it shut.

Flonne giggled. "Stubborn, yet cute as always."

Light. There was nothing but light...

"Nnnn…someone turn out that light…" Laharl groaned. There was no response. "I SAID TURN OUT THAT L—okay, where the hell am I now?" Laharl found himself in some place quite different from the Castle. In fact, quite different from Netherworld as a whole. "Geez…what the hell is with that moon? Why is it so friggin bright?" That was not the moon, that was the sun. The sun was hanging high overhead and shinning brightly, which was foreign to a demon like a Laharl, who has never seen the sun. "Maybe it's a star. Whatever it is, it's too bright…as well as the rest of this place…" Laharl was surrounded in flowers. The flowers, just as Flonne described them, were so simple yet lively, and they were all around him. To Flonne, it would be beautiful. To Laharl… "How nauseating…" Pink petals swept through the fields. Whatever this place was, it wasn't the Netherworld, or Celestia, or even Earth and it was making Laharl sick. "What the hell is this place?"

"Our dreamworld...Laharl-san..." Laharl's eyes widened. That voice sounded so familiar…yet seductive. It was an enticing voice that beckoned Laharl to turn around. And so he did, and he gazed upon the person in front of him.

The voice came from a girl standing before him. Her features, her fragrance, her appearance…made him want to throw up. "FLONNE, WHY THE HELL DO YOU LOOK LIKE THAT AND WHY THE HELL ARE WE HERE?" There was a change in Flonne. Not much of one, just around the chest area…

"What do you mean? Don't I look cute?"

"No! What's with your…" Laharl couldn't say it. He just pointed at her repeatedly, inching himself away.

"Hm? Oh this? I just thought you might like! Don't I look cute?"

Laharl shook his head. "No! Your friggin chest got bigger! You make me sick just looking at you!"

"So...I'm not cute at all..."

Seeing the saddened look on her face, Laharl took back what he said."N-no! It's not like that! I just think you were much cuter when you were flat!"

"Oh so you think if I were to lose the chest then I would be cute? Done deal." Flonne snapped her fingers and her chest was soon back to normal. She ran up to Laharl and hugged him. "So now am I cute?"

"GAAAAAAH! WHERE THE HELL ARE WE! AND HOW DID YOU GET RID OF IT JUST LIKE THAT!"

"Didn't I tell you? This is our dream world."

"D-dream world?"

"Yes." Suddenly, Laharl felt himself drop to the ground. Flonne, who was on top of him, had an odd smile on her face. "Our dream world has everything we ever dreamed of."

Laharl was reluctant to believe that. "Oh yeah! Then what's all this? The friggin star thing! The flowers! The chest! That was all you! Where's everything I dreamed of! I don't see anyone bowing before me!"

"The sun and the flowers were what I dreamed of...but I didn't dream up the chest."

"So if you didn't who did?" Flonne just kept eyeing him. Laharl just laid there, confused about what was going on. _The Love Freak said this place is a dream world, and she thought up the flowers and that star called the sun, but then what about the chest? She said she didn't dream it up and the only other person who couldn't done that is...no...she can't mean..._

"Yes, Laharl-san. You were the one who thought it up, and it was you who removed it."

Laharl was mortified. His very weakness was sexy bodies, yet he was the one who thought it up. He couldn't believe it. It was impossible. "Never! I hate sexy bodies! Why would I want to see one on you?"

"Well maybe it's not the sexy body." Flonne seductively cooed. She was now inches from his face. "Maybe it's just...me."

Laharl began to freak out. The young fallen angel's body was now overlappng his. "W-what are you doing?"

"Don't worry. It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"But--!" It was too late. The world soon became black. The only thing they could feel was each other. Laharl could hear sweet moans and coos coming Flonne, but he didn't seem to mind. All he wanted now...was her. Laharl and Flonne were lost in each other...

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Laharl sprung out of bed. Fear was plastered all over his face. His features were drenched in cold sweat. When he finally cooled down, he realized that he was back in his coffin, safe and sound. "Dream world...more like Nightmare world! Good thing its over..." Just as he was about to fall back to sleep, he felt something soft. Something he couldn't comprehend. He turned to see what he was touching.

"L-laharl-san..." It seemed that someone snuck into the coffin. Laharl was touching the one person he didn't need to see...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Flonne.

Later that morning...

"Laharl-san, breakfast is ready!" Flonne happily chirped as she placed Laharl's breakfast in front of him.

"Uh...thanks, Flonne. Now if you'll excuse me!" Laharl quickly picked up his breakfast and ran towards the end of the table, far from Flonne. Laharl then ate his food properly, scaring a couple of the other vassals. He didn't even burp or anything. While he was eating he said, "Tanks Pwonne. It tates goowd!"

"Laharl-san, don't eat with your mouth full!" Flonne warned him, moving closer to his seat. Laharl started to hesitate as Flonne inched her way towards him. He quickly swallowed his food.

"I'm sorry, Flonne. I won't talk with my mouth full. Just please leave me alone alright." Laharl then proceeded with eating his breakfast. Flonne, on the other hand, was really worried.

"Are you sure you're al--?"

"Yes, I am! Now please let me eat!"

"Okay, Laharl-san. I'll leave you for a bit. Please finish your food." Flonne then turned around and headed for the kitchen, bowing her head in dismay. She knew there was something wrong with Laharl. _He's so well behaved…a lil too well behaved. I know there's something wrong…the reason why he's acting very proper…is because he's hiding something…he doesn't even want me near him…what could it be?_

"Hm…the Prince is acting quite strange, isn't he?"

Flonne's eyes widened in surprise. She quickly turned around. "Etna-san, what are you doing here!"

"What? I live here too, don't I?" She then poked her head forward. "There's obviously something wrong with the Prince. It's not like him to act so...obedient...I mean, take a look at him!" Etna grabbed Flonne and pushed her head toward the door. What she saw shocked her: Laharl was taking a look at one of Flonne's books. The one titled 'Love for Dummies'.

Laharl kept searching through the pages. Even though he didn't enjoy it, he felt like he needed to. "Maybe if I start to learn about love, the Love Freak won't come near me. She'll think I've learned enough and won't pay much attention to me. I just hope I don't regret it…"

Flonne was in shock. The reason why he was acting so nice. The reason he acted so well behaved. "…he…doesn't want me around…but why? I thought we were friends…" Etna pulled Flonne back inside the kitchen.

"Well maybe it's something you did? Tell me what happened last night."

"I don't know. I didn't do anything wrong…"

"Just tell me!"

"Alright…" Flonne told Etna as much as she could. Flonne didn't understand what she did wrong. Most of what she remembered was arguing with Laharl and jumping into his coffin, which almost got her kicked out. Then, she mentioned the bed…

Etna had a puzzled look on her face. "Flonne-chan…what were you doing in the Prince's coffin…?"

"Well, I woke up in the middle of night, and couldn't get back to sleep. So I thought 'hey, Laharl-san's coffin must be warm and comfy', so I got inside the coffin. And I was right, it was so warm and comfy that I fell asleep right away!"

Etna gave Flonne the weirdest of stares. There was something wrong with that last part. "Flonne-chan…do you even realize what the Prince might be thinking?"

"Uh…no."

"WHAT! YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT LOVE AND YET YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY THE PRINCE WOULD BE AFRAID THAT YOU GOT INTO THE BED WITH HIM!"

"No. Should I?"

"Flonne-chan, Laharl-chan is just afraid that he did something he shouldn't have." The two demons turned to the doorway. It was Jennifer. "Don't you think that if Laharl-chan would be scared if he saw you with in bed? He's probably thinking you two did something."

"Something? But I didn't do anything. I was just sleeping next to him."

Etna's mischievous grin appeared on her face again. She couldn't wait to go and tease him again. "Hahaha! The Prince is having naughty thoughts! Oh, it proves right there that he has a crush on you!"

"Wait! You mean Laharl-san thinks the two of us…"

"Well, that's what it seems to be."

"Ooooh, the Prince is so naughty to think that he could do that to Flonne-chan! And here I thought he would never like a girl! He must be really desperate if he's having those thoughts!"

"But Etna-san…I didn't want him to end up like this…"

"What's wrong? He's acting just like you wanted him to."

"That's not it!" Flonne bowed her head again in pity. "Even if he's so well mannered…if it means that we won't stay together…won't stay as friends…I'd rather have the original love hating Laharl-san back."

Jennifer understood what she meant. "I see. To you, this well mannered Laharl-chan isn't the same one you care for, right?" Flonne nodded. "Yeah, if Gordon were to actually become intelligent and not screw up, I don't know what I'd do."

"Well you can think about this later, Flonne-chan." Etna said as she went to the door. "The Prince has new orders from the Dark Assembly. Maybe you can make up with him there."

"What kind of assignment is it?"

"It's a protection mission. He has to protect workers at an excavation site."

Over at the archeological site, many demons began to dig into the ground. There have been rumors of something big down there, and the demons, hoping to sell it off at high price, are trying to dig their way in. As one who wants this site so badly, Hoggmeiser ordered all his demons to dig.

"Snort! Dig! I want this big artifact right away!" Hoggmeiser snorted. He then turned to another demon beside him. "So, Maro, if I get this dug up right away, how much will you pay?"

"Let's just say this: I hope you have something to carry all of it!"

Hoggmeiser's eyes lit up with dollar signs. There was no telling what he could make out of this. "Snort! Alright$! Get to work$!"

Maro grinned happily. All these demons were making sure to uncover these ruins. _That man from earlier…the one with wings. He told me about something really special here about the Netherworld's past. I would give anything to have it._

From a cliff near the site, someone was watching the work being done. _Excellent. It's finally going to be uncovered. Once that's done…all I need is… _However, something interrupted his thoughts. He glanced at the site, and soon found large black dragons flying viciously overhead. They attacked all the demons and halted the excavation. He gritted his teeth. _No…he couldn't have arrived in the Netherworld! Not now! Damn you, shishou! _

Meanwhile, the mysterious black cloaked man from earlier was sitting down and began to chant some words. Each word caused the black dragons to continue attacking the entire excavation. _I'm still lost but I'm glad I'm here. I can't let this excavation continue. _

'_Master, is it alright for you to stay up here?' _

_I can't go down there. If I reveal myself, Yuki will know that I'm here._

"_Who cares, just beat his ass and it'll be finished." _

_I told you already. If I defeat him now as he is, he'll always have that inborn hatred. I'm waiting for that someone to save him._

"_You and your ideals…"_

Coming out of the dimensional portal, Laharl and his group began to walk towards the excavation site.

Laharl cringed at his new assignment. "Geez…why can't it be another crush rebellion mission? Instead, we have protect the archaeologists…"

"Stop complaining, Prince. You know that you can't always beat the crap out of citizens."

Flonne caught up with Laharl and smiled. "Yeah, don't you think it's wonderful that we're going to see an old relic being uncovered?

Laharl began to panic again. "Y-yeah! Well we can't keep those guys waiting! They might get hurt! Let's go!" Laharl dashed right to the site, leaving many of the other vassals confused.

"Laharl-sama?"

Gordon turned to Jennifer. "What's wrong with Overlord?"

"I don't know."

Aramis sighed. "Geez…Laharl's starting to scare me."

"Yeah…" Flonne sniffled. She was about to cry.

"Don't worry about it, Flonne-chan." Etna reassured her. "We'll be able to figure it out. Right now, let's focus on the mission."

Flonne nodded, but was still worried. "Hai…" Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the sky, frightening some of the vassals. "What's that?"

"D-don't worry! I'm sure it's nothing!" Gordon heroically replied. "Now go on ahead! I shall provide support from behind." Just as Gordon was about to leave, he tripped and was being dragged by Kurtis. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Shut up, Gordon. I thought you were a hero…"

Everyone else rushed to the scene. By the time they got there, most of the demons had fled. The only one left was Maro, the archaeologist.

Maro was cowering in fear. "P-please don't hurt me! I just want to uncover these ruins!"

The dragon were reluctant to listen. _"We shall not allow you! These ruins are not to be uncovered! If you continue, you may have to die!"_

"But I—" The dragons didn't listen. They swooped down at Maro, hoping to get rid of the last archaeologist. Then…

"Overlord's Wrath!" Large balls of fire appeared in the sky and shot towards the dragons. Some of the dragons fell, well others took heavy damage. "Geez…this isn't even a challenge! At least, my reject was able to put up a decent fight!" Laharl was standing before the dragons, crossing his arms and boasting mightily. "Fear me for I am Laharl, Overlord of the Netherworld! And as Overlord, I shall crush you all and scatter your remains like dust! Hmhmhm… hmhmhmhm...HAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Well, it seems like the Prince is acting like his normal self!" Etna noted from sidelines.

"Yeah…" Flonne replied, still worried about him.

"Don't worry about it, Flonne-chan."

"I know…but…" Suddenly, Flonne's eyes widened. She felt a powerful, yet terrifying force. "Etna-san, do you feel it?"

"Hm? Feel what?"

Flonne just couldn't help it. She knew there was something wrong. There was someone watching waiting for something. Suddenly, a shot rang out. There was no time to think. Flonne rushed right into the site.

"Flonne-chan, what are you doing?"

Flonne ignored everyone. She rushed into the site with tears in her eyes. "LAHARL-SAN!" Flonne leaped right behind Laharl and began her angelic chant. "_BERRY BARRIER BALIDARE! PROTECT LAHARL-SAN FROM THIS BEAM!_" The said beam hit the barrier. Unfortunately, the power of the beam was so immense that it smashed right through Flonne's barrier.

Laharl turned around. He saw the beam piercing right through barrier. It was going to hit Flonne. "NO!" Laharl grabbed Flonne and dodged the incoming blast. He then turned towards the dragons, summoning his fire powers at its fullest. "METEOR IMPACT!" Suddenly, a large several large meteors shot towards the ground. Laharl jumped onto one of them, and rode it into the dragons. The flaming inferno destroyed every single one of them. His destruction caused a large crater to form where the excavation used to be. Laharl didn't care though, he was more worried about someone else. "Flonne, are you alright?"

"Hai…" Flonne weakly replied. "I'm sorry if I did anything that scared…Laharl-san…" And then, Flonne fainted in his arms. Laharl clutched her tightly.

Overlooking his failure, the cloaked man turned from the excavation. _I couldn't stop it, but at least I got to see Krichevskoy's son. He has certainly grown…_

The other mysterious one sneered at the couple and left. _Heh…at least the Overlord was able to uncover the ruins. Still, shishou is on the loose. I'd better be careful from now on…_

Later at the Overlord's Castle…

"Nnnn…" Flonne slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and looked around. She was in her bed. She was back in Laharl's room.

"Finally, you woke up…" Flonne turned to the door. It was Laharl. "Now that's you're awake let me ask you one thing." He walked up to Flonne and yelled, "WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT? WHY DID YOU TRY AND TAKE THE SHOT?"

Flonne bowed her head. Her bangs, plastered all over her face. "I'm sorry…Laharl-san…I thought…I upset you earlier. All this day…you've been avoiding me…and…I was scared that you wouldn't care about me anymore…so…I…"

"Is that all you were worried about? Me avoiding you?"

"But…why…did I do anything wrong…is it because you saw me in bed with you…"

Laharl remained silent. He didn't know what to say anymore. He didn't know that by avoiding her, he had been breaking her heart. It scared him to think that he could hurt her this way. Laharl sighed and bowed his head too. "Look Flonne…I had some weird dream last night…and…it was pretty awkward and confusing…"

Curious, Flonne asked him, "What was the dream about?"

"Um…nothing. It was just all confusing…and when I saw you in bed with me…I got scared…thinking we did something we weren't supposed to."

"But we didn't Laharl-san! I'm sorry for getting into your coffin, but please understand that I wouldn't do anything like that!"

Laharl placed his hand on his forehead. "Heh…it doesn't matter anymore. I mean, we're still friends, right?"

"Friends…you mean you and I…?"

"IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE LIKE THAT! I MEAN, YOU SAID YOU CARED ABOUT ME! DOESN'T THAT MEAN WE'RE FRIENDS?"

Flonne giggled. "You're right. We are friends." Flonne had a bright smile on her face. She was back to normal. Suddenly, a chill went up her spine. Laharl's hand was on his cheek. "Laharl-san…"

"No matter what you do to yourself, you're always so cute when you smile..."

Flonne was now flushing in embarrassment. "'Cute'…?"

"Ooooooh! The Prince called Flonne-chan 'cute'!" Laharl bolted to the doorway and began to shout at Etna.

"YOU FOOL! I WAS ONLY TRYING TO MAKE HER FEEL BETTER!"

"Oh and what about those naughty thought of her? You wouldn't be afraid of her in bed if you didn't have any of those thoughts!"

"THAT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE!" Of course, him blushing did not help him at all.

Etna ran out of the room. "Oooh and the Prince blushing again! Hey, everyone guess what?"

"GET BACK HERE!" Laharl chased after her. Soon, loud shouts all over could be heard.

Flonne giggled, happy to see everything was returning to normal. "All is good now." However there was one thing on her mind. _When Laharl-san called me 'cute'…I felt my heart beat even faster. I felt like I was flying. I looked into his face, he looked more calm and mature. It's like he has changed…yet he hasn't changed at all. Could it be that there's more to our friendship than I know? _Flonne's hand brushed against the cheek that Laharl touched. She blushed deeply, as the word 'cute' ran through her mind. She felt like her head was in Celestia once again. _Oh Laharl-san…_

Over in the Alternate Netherworld, Yuki stared into the grand palace before him. Only one word could be said about it: beautiful. But to Yuki that one word was:

"Disgusting…but it doesn't matter. This place may prove useful to me…

**

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**Next episode**

Etna: Danger is coming this way! It seems th—

Gordon: It seems that we have some intruders ready to disrupt our peaceful haven!

Etna: Oh n--

Gordon: Oh yes! But never fear for I, Captain Gordon, Slayeeeeeeeeer of Netherworld will be there to save the day once again.

Etna: Get off my sho—

Gordon: Showing his enemies that justice will always prevail isn't easy, but I shall do it for my middle name is justice!

Etna: Next time--!

Gordon: Next time on **The Adventures of Captain Gordon: The Coming of Another War! **My justice will always shine over evil! Prepare yourself for the worst! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Etna: Hahaha…MY ASS!

* * *

Yeah, that preview was practically taken from the game, but I felt like having Gordon in this one this time. Yeah, a very awkward look into a Laharl/Flonne episode, with a bit of Gordon in there. Oh and I got good news and bad news. The good news is that I got 'Makai Senki Disgaea: Revelations' and 'Makai Senki Disgaea: Returned'. The bad news is that I realized that they were Japanese novels, not manga. But it's alright cuz there are pictures in it, which tell a bit of the story. Unfortunately they're not as good as seeing it in manga form. Basically they both takes place ten years after Disgaea's good ending (So yeah, Fallen Angel Flonne). Revelations is the story of what looks like Laharl's relatives and his evil cousin, plus the premiere of Jennifer's daughter. You heard that right. Jennifer has a kid, and she looks so cute. She looks a lot like Flonne. Just don't ask me who she had the kid with. I'm pretty sure it was with Gordon, but seeing him crying in the background, I can't be too sure. As for Returned, it's hard to tell but part of the manga talks about Flonne's parents (her mom is not Alouette as some may think) and her rival or relative of some sorts. Oh and yes, they included Etna's skits/spoofs in there. My favorite one is the 'Freddy vs. Jason' spoof in Revelations. Hopefully, my friend will get it translated soon. As for the fic, look forward to a big battle between Laharl and another NI favorite. 


	6. Two Netherworlds, Two Overlords, One Big...

**Author's notes: **Now that we have a full cast, it's time we have a more serious action chapter that relates more to the overall story. I'm sure you're wondering when I'm going to release the name of the black hooded character. Well I kinda hinted at it, but I won't mention the name until he appears before Laharl. Oh and admin. the 'next episode' skits at the end of each chapter are a big part of Disgaea. Because I want my fic to sound similar to the game, I need to leave those in. They really are a big part of the fic, so don't consider it as non-story related extras or anything.

Anyway, let's begin. As you know, Yuki appeared before Priere's Castle. What's gonna happen now? BTW, if you find anything weird about Priere's attacks, it's because I didn't get up to the Alternate Netherworld stage (my PS2 broke right after finishing Cave of Ordeal 4). So if you can tell me what these attacks really look like, and even tell me how Priere and Marjoly really act like (I'm basing Priere's personality off of her La Pucelle counterpart) please tell me.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Disgaea or La Pucelle (which is slightly hinted in this chapter) nor anything related to Nippon Ichi. Seriously, I would be doing something if I did. However, I own any attack that I create in this fic.

**

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****Episode 6: Two Netherworlds, Two Overlords, One Big Problem**

The Alternate Netherworld. The Netherworld itself was a huge place to begin with, but it seems that there's another world parallel to it. That place was known as the Alternate Netherworld. For centuries, very few have known the existence of this world and even less know of how this world became this way or why it was created. All that is known about the Alternate Netherworld were its demons. Occasionally, a demon from the Alternate Netherworld would arrive in the Netherworld to challenge it's strongest, which in this case would be the Overlord. Each one that enters the Netherworld refers their selves as the 'Lord of Terror', the title given to the Overlord of the Alternate Netherworld, the strongest of all. While that is not true at all, those who do enter surprise many demons with their incredible power. Only Laharl, who lost only the first time, and Krichevskoy's five close vassals have ever defeated them. Speaking of the Overlord, the latest Overlord of the Alternate Netherworld was lying down in her bed. It was none other than Overlord Priere. Where she came from and how she got the title was a bit of a mystery, however she was indeed strong. Some say she defeated the last Overlord, which got her the title. Anyway, she was lying down on her bed…until she felt someone's presence nearby.

"Who's there!?!" Silence. There was nothing but silence. It was quiet…too quiet. Priere tried again. "Who's there!?! Show yourself!!!!"

"Oh? Is the great Overlord Priere paranoid? Afraid of the unknown?"

"Well, I wouldn't call myself g—PARANOID!?! I'll show you!!!!" Priere took out her baton and chucked it into the shadows. The shadowed person simply deflected it.

"Is this all you've got?"

Priere chuckled to herself. "Before you start bluffing, take a look behind you." The mysterious person turned around. The baton was still twirling. Twirling so fast that it caused mirages of itself to appear. "Now!! Holy Wind!!!" Soon, the mirages became real and shot themselves toward the shadowed man.

Despite the neat trick, the shadowed man deflected baton again. Priere caught it in mid-air. "Now honestly, I'm getting really bored. I'll just finish this now." From out of the shadows, came something really sharp. It was hard to see since it was thrown really fast. Priere couldn't dodge it in time. Luckily, she was able to move in time and let the sharp object pierce her arm. She clutched her wound, but it turns out that it was nothing more than a little prick. She looked at the sharp object and giggled to herself.

"A white rose? Is that all you can do?"

"Keep taunting me. You'll soon be mine."

Priere put her hands on her hips and began to act conceited and arrogant. She is an Overlord, after all."Well I don't date guys who hide and never show themselves, and I won't become anyone's slave, you got that?" The shadowed person chuckled evilly. Priere, being the hothead she was, became impatient with the shadow person. "Well if you're you not gonna come out of the shadows, I'll just go up there and kick your ass!!!" Priere grabbed her baton and jumped right at the shadowed area. Suddenly, she heard a weird chant coming from her stalker. _What's with this chant? It's neither demonic nor angelic. What is he doing?_

"_Floris Kuro Tenjyo. Thorns of darkness that bear the fruit of light, bind my enemy. Poison her mind and bring restrain to her being. Eject her soul and grant me control. Now…SUBMIT!!!!!_" What happened next shocked Priere: all of a sudden, the white rose on Priere's arm began to grow. The thorns shot out and began to restrain all of Priere's movements. Her arms, legs, wings, even her neck were paralyzed under the spell of the rose. She dropped to the ground in a loud thud. The vines and thorns wrapped Priere so tightly that she couldn't escape, not to mention she had to let go of her baton.

Priere glared angrily at her stalker. "You bastard!!! What did you do!?!"

He simply replied, "Not much. It's all a simple two-part binding spell. I said the magic words and the rose obeyed my command, and that's where you are now."

"Grrrrrrr…wait didn't you say it was a two-part binding spell?"

The stalker grinned evilly. "That part is coming right about…now." Suddenly, the petals on the rose's white petals scattered all over. For a second, Priere couldn't see a thing through this blanket of white. When it was over, she looked down. She was horrified with what she saw: a large, vicious, spear-like thorn replaced the white petals of the rose. She tried to break herself loose, but it was no use. The binding spell was too strong. "Don't worry, I think you will enjoy being my slave. Now submit to me!!!!" And in that very moment a loud, blood-curdling scream echoed throughout entire castle.

The scream sent chills up the spines of other demons in the castle, for they have never heard her scream like that ever since she became Overlord. When it was over, Priere's guards rushed right into her room. When they got in, Priere was simply standing upright. The room seemed normal, nothing broken or tattered, and Priere seemed like herself as well. It seemed like there was nothing wrong.

"Priere-sama, what just happened?"

Priere simply replied, "Oh nothing. Must've had some sort of nightmare." She seemed normal. A little too normal.

Yet there was something a little odd. Something that the guards could feel yet couldn't put their fingers on. "But Priere-sama rarely has nightmares."

"No, it's alright. I was just thinking about how that bastard Laharl defeated me." Priere replied with a disgusted tone.

"Eh?" The guards felt something going on. There was something odd about her this early in the morning. Something very peculiar."Priere-sama?"

"Prepare a telegram and give it to one of my assassins. Send him over to the Netherworld."

"What for?"

"Just do it!!!!"

"Hai!!!" The guards rushed out of the room, leaving Priere all by herself. There was devilish grin on her face. Whatever she had planned, it definitely wasn't good.

"Now Overlord, let's see if you can defeat me now…"

Over in the Overlord's Castle, Laharl opened his eyes. When he was finally up, he looked over to his side, and sighed a breath of relief. There was no one there. There was no one in his coffin but himself.

"It's a good thing I requested the senators to get a balcony built in room without bribing or fighting them. Flonne's probably out there already." After his big mishap a few days ago, Laharl got used to having Flonne sleep in his coffin. He did scold her for not staying in her own bed, but she had a sleepwalking problem that kept her from obeying him. So eventually, he got used to it and did not mind that she was around…that is until she began to cling to him during his sleep. Lately, every time Laharl would wake up, Flonne would be clinging to him tightly. This made Laharl feel very uneasy. Moreover, it got worse everyday, as Flonne's face kept getting closer and closer to Laharl's. So, when he learned that Flonne could not get outside, since his room was so far from the lobby, he passed a bill for the addition of a balcony to his room. Luckily, the protection of the ruins boosted his chances of approval and eventually got the bill passed. When the balcony was fixed, Flonne, would instead leave to go out and gaze into the Netherworld, rather than stay inside and scare Laharl to death.

After blinking a couple of times, Laharl finally opened his coffin and jumped out. He looked towards the door of his newly created balcony. Just as he predicted, Flonne was outside, gazing into the vast reaches of the Netherworld. Being the clueless demon he was, Laharl decided to find out why she always surveys the Netherworld. "Hey Flonne, I was wondering--?" However, when he tapped her shoulder…

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" She turned and tried to whack him. Whenever Laharl tried to approach her like that early in the morning, she would always turn and knock him out. This time he was prepared. He easily blocked it.

"What a way to bring back painful memories, eh Flonne…" Laharl groaned, reminding himself of when he and Flonne first met.

Flonne, as usual, bowed to Laharl and frantically apologized. "I'm so sorry, Laharl-san!!! I didn't know it was you!!!"

"Yeah, and this is about the third time you did it…" Laharl groaned.

"I'm sorry!!!"

"Calm down, Love Freak. It's alright, I forgive you." Laharl went onto the balcony, and gazed into the Netherworld. He sought out anything that may entertain Flonne. After all, she goes outside every morning to see the Netherworld. However, Laharl didn't find anything. There was nothing that would interest him, nor Flonne, at least from his perspective. All he saw was a sleepy Netherworld. He finally asked her, "Why do you come out here every morning? I don't see anything big. In fact, the Netherworld is practically dead this early in the morning."

"Well, there's nothing big…well not yet. Well except for the last few stars." Flonne pointed to all the stars above. The beautiful little dots, sparkled overhead (don't ask me whether or not they can actually see stars in the Netherworld. I just thought if they can see the moon, they can surely see stars). Some were dim, while others were quite bright. Flonne felt so content simply watching the night sky, or at least the diminishing night sky. Laharl, on the other hand, didn't have much interest in it. Flonne turned her head towards Laharl and asked him,"Do you have any favorite stars up there?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?"

"Laharl-san!!!!"

"Fine…well I was never interested in stars…" Laharl began. He looked up into the sky, towards the direction of not a star, but something bigger. A bright illuminating ball, that seemed to occupy more space than the stars, and was even brighter. "The moon."

"The moon?"

"Yeah. They said that when I was born, my head poked out and gazed right into the moon. I don't think about it too much, but since my mom felt so comfortable looking at the moon, I didn't mind it. She'd always say that the light of the moon would always make me so handsome. It's also something I look at too often. I guess that's why I like the moon." Then, Laharl expression twisted into a frown. "The only problem is when they tease me about my eyes looking like the forgiving red moon that comes once in awhile…stupid Prinny moon…"

"But they do." Flonne said. She turned him around and looked him straight in the eyes. She could see her reflection in his pools of bright red. They were as luminous as the moon above. A red moon, said to cleanse the soul, yet they were as fiery as the sun. They were burning with a passion."And I can still see them now. Every time I look into them, I can feel my worries melting away…just like how the red moon cleanses one's soul."

Of course, Laharl reacted bitterly to her comment, by quickly jerking his head to the side. "Hmph! I knew I shouldn't have told you that."

Flonne giggled. "It's true, Laharl-san. You just don't know it."

"Hmph!" Laharl crossed his arm impatience. "How long is it gonna take for this thing to start!?!" He was waiting for that big thing Flonne was waiting for, and yet it wasn't even coming. If whatever this thing was didn't come soon, he would go insane and grind something. Flonne was the cook after all. He didn't need to miss his breakfast for whatever the Love Freak was waiting for.

"Oh it should be any second now. Oh there it is!"

Laharl looked back at the Netherworld and noticed the very first demon stepping outside. Nothing special about him, it was just a normal demon. "Is he a friend of yours?" Flonne shook her head in reply. To her, everyone's her friend, but she hasn't been acquainted with him yet. Soon, more and more demons began to move. The Netherworld was once again busy, which couldn't make Flonne any happier. Laharl, on the other hand, was confused and worst of all, displeased. "This is it…? Just a bunch of demons getting out to start the day…?"

Flonne nodded to Laharl happily. "Yup. What do you think?"

Normally, Laharl would've exploded and started shouting expletives so loud that one may think Flonne touched something she shouldn't have. After all, he had been wasting his time just to see more demons, but in the end, Laharl simply groaned and turned to the door. "You're weird. Maybe its because you don't get to see your flowers in Celestia. Then again, your entire head is filled with flowers…" Flonne giggled at his remark. Laharl hasn't changed at all, and she was happy to see that. "Well I'm heading down to the kitchen for breakfast. See ya there." Laharl opened the large door to the throne room and left for the kitchen.

Flonne giggled a bit. This morning proved to be very peaceful. No shouting. No fights. It seemed like Laharl did change a tiny bit. _Laharl-san…I'm so glad you decided to spend the morning with me. We've never really spent time with each other. I wanted to at least learn more about him. After all, love sometimes spreads through curiosity. I think Laharl-san shouldn't be upset over his eyes. They really do look like the red moon. They're always glowing. Besides, they look so cute on him! Teehee… _Flonne sighed and held her cheek. She began to remember what he said the other day. _Cute? ' No matter what happens, you're always cute when you smile.' That's what Laharl-san told me. I felt so light headed when he held my cheek and said those words. Could it be that I really do have feelings for him? Do I really love him…that way…? _Before she could continue pondering about her possible feelings for Laharl, a voice rang out from the halls. Ironically enough, it was Laharl's.

"Flonne, get over here right now!!!!"

"Gomen nasai!!! I'll be right there!!!!" Flonne decided to shake off her thoughts and head for the door. Despite being knocked out of her thoughts, those feelings haven't left her.

A few minutes later, Flonne rushed over to the throne room, but she suddenly stopped. Laharl was standing there, talking to Etna and Aramis. There was obviously something up; because there was no way he'd miss breakfast just to start up a conversation, especially if it's with Etna.

Flonne walked over beside Laharl. "Laharl-san, weren't you going to go to the kitchen?" When Laharl turned to Flonne, she noticed that there was a hint of anger on Laharl's face; meaning whatever Etna told him, it wasn't any good.

"We've got a problem on our hands."

"Eh?"

"Aramis sent one of his zombies to the Alternate Netherworld. His zombie was confronted by the Alternate Netherworld guards and was given a message, which he brought back here. Take a look at this!" Laharl handed Flonne the message. As Flonne looked it over, she put her hand on mouth. There was shock all over her face. The message read:

_Dear Overlord Laharl,_

_The presence of the Netherworld as a separate entity disgusts me andI canno longer ignore it. I now declare war on the Netherworld. Once you are dethroned, I shall take control and become the supreme Overlord. Prepare yourself for the worst. _

_From the great mistress, __Overlord Priere _

Flonne's mouth was wide open. She could take her eyes off the letter. There was something wrong about it. "Laharl-san!"

"I know." Laharl replied with his arm crossed and eyes closed. "There's something wrong with this letter. If she were really planning a war, we would've learned about at least one attack on the Netherworld by now."

"I agree." Aramis said. "I checked with the very same zombie that gave me the message. He said there were battles breaking out all over the Alternate Netherworld. Why would she declare if the Alternate Netherworld is practically having its war with itself?"

"Besides, Priere could never declare war." Etna said. "Marjoly would come in and kick her ass if she did."

"So then what do we do?" Flonne asked them all.

"Isn't it obvious?" Laharl asked her. He then raised fist mightily into the air. A light began to shine all over. "We're going over to the Alternate Netherworld and show whoever the mastermind is to never underestimate the Overlord!!! He'd better be prepared!!! Once I'm there, I'm going to be him so bloody that he'll scream in fear whenever he hears my name!!! So you'd better watch out whoever you are, because you're going to be facing me, the great Overlord Laharl!!!! Mhmhm…mhmhmhmhmm…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

"Some things never change, do they Flonne-chan?"

"Yup, and sometimes that's a good thing!!"

Later in the Alternate Netherworld, Laharl had jumped out of his dimensional portal, followed by everyone else. They all looked around the place. It's been awhile since they've been here. Last time they were here, THEY were the one's trying to conquer the place. Well…just Laharl. However, Laharl decided to spare Priere after defeating, and gave up on taking control of the Alternate Netherworld.

As they all got closer to Beauty Castle, Laharl turned to Flonne and Etna. "Hey you two. Can I ask you one thing?"

"Yes?"

"Let me stay in the back this time."

"But why, Laharl-san?" Flonne asked him.

"Isn't it obvious, Flonne-chan? There's no way the Prince can battle Priere at close range."

"But wh—oh now I get it." Flonne knew why Laharl couldn't go up and just beat up Priere. Flonne and Etna knew it very well. They couldn't forget it after Laharl said that they were flat chested. It was Laharl's weakness against sexy bodies. He can't see someone with a nice chest and everything, and those who know Priere knows she definitely has a sexy body. In fact, that was the whole problem when battling her the first time.

"Yeah. I remember that one attack we tried when we first fought her." Etna said, with a grin on her face. Battling Priere proved to be difficult in the past because of Laharl's 'situation', but Etna was able to find a solution during their first battle. The solution, however, left a bad feeling in Laharl for a couple of months.

**Flashback**

"Dragon's Rage!!!" Priere commanded her powers into one dragonic like blast that shot out at high speed towards Laharl. Laharl didn't know it was coming and took the hit. Why? Because he covered his eyes with his cape.

"Laharl-san, are you alright?" Flonne rushed up to him and tried to help him up. Laharl staggered a bit but he was all right.

"Yeah, I'm alright Flonne."

"Uh…I'm right here."

"Oh."

Etna summoned her Prinnies and let them at least distract Priere for a few seconds. She then ran up to Laharl, who was still struggling to get up. It's not easy fighting when you have something covering your eyes. "Prince, how are you supposed to fight when you can't even see?"

"I know I know, but I can't fight against my weakness!!!"

"Is it really that bad for you to look at sexy women?" Flonne asked him.

"YES!!!"

That's when Etna began to grin mischievously. Uh oh, she has another plan. Laharl is probably going to reallyhate her for this."Hey Prince, charge up your fire powers."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

"Okay okay." Laharl held out his fist, and soon his body began to emit flames. The fiery blaze covered his entire body, burning brightly. "Now what do I do?" Suddenly, he felt someone's hand grabbed him by the cape.

"Pray that this will work!!!" Etna then proceeded with tossing Laharl at Priere. While Laharl began to cuss and complain about Etna's plan, it worked. Laharl crashed into Priere, who was caught by surprise. The two collapsed right onto the ground. When it was over, Laharl got up and took the cape off his eyes.

"So did we win?" Just then, Laharl felt something on his head. It felt soft. Well whatever it was, he was about to find out. Priere was already coming to. She looked down at Laharl and said,

"Ow…okay okay…maybe we can discuss something…just get off alright…" Was the fact that Laharl's head right on Priere's chest mentioned?

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! Guess not. To Laharl, sexy bodies can kill.

**End of flashback**

"THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT WE'RE DOING THAT AGAIN!?!" Laharl screamed at his clever, yet mischievous battle advisor. With everything that was going on in the castle lately, the last thing he wanted was to end up gagging over another sexy body.

"Oh relax, Prince. Stop worrying about it. I have many other plans that may work!" Etna's grinned once again, which left an uncomfortable feeling inside Laharl.

"She's right though, Laharl-san. We have love and friendship on our side!!! Whoever is out there, we can defeat them!!!" Flonne proudly exclaimed. The cheerful one just kept yapping away about love, which made some of the other vassals stare.

"Will she be done yet?" Kurtis asked Laharl.

"Let her be…after awhile you get used to it…"

"Wow, I didn't think you'd get used to her, Prince. Did you two do anything?" Etna eyed Laharl suspiciously.

"Shut up, Etna!!!" Once again, blushing does not help Laharl's case.

"Oh, you're so cute when you blush, Laharl-chan!!!" Jennifer pointed.

"I see that you're actually going into puberty, Overlord!!! Rejoice for you are growing up!!!" Gordon cheered Laharl on, placing his arms behind his back. "Where I come from, we'd drink sake to celebrate your triumph!!!"

Laharl wanted to beat them bloody, but let out a simple, "Hmph!" The last thing he need was more teasing, especially coming from Etna.

A few minutes and a bit of teasing later, Laharl and the others arrived at Necrocoast, the biggest place in the Alternate Netherworld. It was also the city closest to the Priere Castle, the Castle in which Priere resides. Entering the city made the group realize that Aramis was right: fights were breaking out like wild fire. Demon after demon slashed, thrashed, battered, and blasted each other. It was like the Alternate Netherworld was in it's own civil war. Even if demons often fight each other, it wasn't like this.

"Something is definitely wrong here." Laharl finally said, after witnessing more demons getting slaughtered. "She wouldn't send an army that fights it's own world."

Flonne nodded. "I agree. Priere isn't the type of demon to let this happen."

"Well I don't know about you guys, but we'd better get to Priere Castle to find out what's going on." Etna reminded them. They all agreed. If they're going to prevent a possible invasion or even prevent the deaths of more demons, they were going to have to face Priere at her Castle.

"Then let's go!"

"LAHARL-SAN, LOOK OUT!!!" Laharl quickly jumped out of the way of incoming claw. A large zombie dragon jerked his claws out of the ground and readied them for another attack. Laharl was just lucky to dodge that one attack.

"Thanks Flonne."

Flonne nodded. "Your welcome. Now let's get to Priere and find out what's wrong!" Suddenly, more zombie dragons appeared before them. Each one of them growled and gave them the 'I wanna eat you' stare. Of course, none them wanted to be eaten.

"Back away from the Overlord, cretins!!" Gordon bravely demanded the zombie dragons, which was kind of odd in Gordon's case. "You dare touch us with your bloodied hands after destroying countless lives!?! Well, I, Captain Gordon have news for you: in the name justice, I shall make you pay for your crimes!!!" Gordon then dashed at his opponents, charging power into fist as he moved. He then jumped into the air and ascended towards one of the dragons. Finally, when he was at the perfect position, he pulled back his fist and with great power, gave his opponent a 'justice punch'. "Gordon Punch!!!!" Despite the thought of Gordon screwing up this one again was racing through the minds of his own team, he was able to successfully take down one of the dragons. "Take that oppressor of justice!!! As you can see, justice always wins!!!" Unfortunately, he was left wide open for the other ones. "Uh oh!!"

That's when Jennifer move over to Thursday and Kurtis. She said, "Okay, let's show everyone our new team attack!!"

"Blip beep!! Thursday agrees!!!"

"Gordon had better thank us for this…" Kurtis groaned.

"Alright!" Suddenly, Thursday and Kurtis began to glow. The two began to, what looked like, merge into something. Whatever it was,it was making their energygrow.As the two merged, Jennifer pulled out a remote control and pressed it. Afterwards, she ran into the light that was created by Thursday and Kurtis. When the light finally diminished, Thursday was gone. What was left was the large laser cannon that Kurtis was sitting on and Jennifer was holding. Kurtis and Jennifer began to charge their energy right into the cannon. When all this powerful energy was gathered, Jennifer pulled the trigger. "Defender Team Combo: Thursday Smasher Cannon!!!!" In that instant, a beam of energy shot out of the newly created cannon and smashed into the dragons. The attack not only destroyed two of the dragons, it protected Gordon from harm. Everyone who witnessed the attack was quite amazed that they could do something as powerful as that.

"What kind of attack was that?" Laharl finally asked Jennifer.

Jennifer let go of the gun and it soon transformed back into Thursday. "It's powerful team attack that we learned while training. I'm sure Flonne-chan said it best: 'The power of teamwork beats all'!"

Flonne nodded in agreement. "Yup! Nothing can beat the power of teamwork! Hey Laharl-san, we should try something like that one day?" Laharl didn't answer. He didn't know what to say to her. _If I say no, she'll be pissed. If I say yes then…I dun even wanna think about it…_"Laharl-san?"

Well it didn't matter if he would say yes or not. Etna was still there to tease him. "Don't worry about it Flonne-chan. The Prince is probably too shy to ask you to team up with him!!!"

"YOU FOOL!!! THAT'S NOT IT!!!!" Just as another argument was about to erupt, one more demon dragon appeared for them. It roared viciously as it witnessed the slaughter of it's own kind. "Great another one! This is getting annoying"

Before Laharl could do anything, Flonne put her hand in front of Laharl, preventing him from taking any further action. "Let us handle this! Wanna show them our attack, Etna-san?"

"You bet!" Etna pulled out her father's spear and began her charge at the zombie dragon. Flonne stayed behind, charging her powers into her fingertips, which made it seem like she was charging her Holy Arrows attack. When Etna was within the right distance, Etna tossed her spear at the demon, impaling him. Then from her position, she began to summon her powers into her spear. "Demonic Angelic Combo!!!"

"Dark Angel Spike!!!" Suddenly, Etna's spear began to glow. The brilliant light covered the entire area.Then, in an instant, numerous spikes shot out of the ground and into the dragon, impaling it. The largest one stabbed it in the chest. However, it wasn't over. The spear resonated with Flonne's own power, and when Flonne's power reached its limit, she pointed her angelic staff at the dragon (her staff transforms into her bow and arrow at will, at least in my fic). She then released its energy in the form of powerful pink light arrows, which were even stronger than her Holy Arrows. They all pierced into the dragon, and soon an explosion followed. When it was all over, there was nothing left. The dragon had practically dissipated. His body wasn't even left behind. Everyone else just stared at the position the dragon once stood with their mouth agape. Nothing could comprehend what they just saw.

Finally, Aramis broke the silence. "You two have been training a lot…haven't you…?"

Etna dusted off her clothes before responding. "Well yeah, but I don't think it was anything special…"

Flonne giggled. "We thought that Laharl-san would like to see how powerful teamwork really is. We wanted to show him a new power that can only be summoned when you work together."

"I must say that you and Etna make a powerful team." Gordon congratulated them with a thumbs up and his trademark smile.

"Yeah, I was amazed myself that you two could do that kind of attack on your own." Jennifer applauded them.

"It turned our team attack into nothing more than a pee shooter…" Kurtis groaned.

"Thursday agrees, blip beep…"

Flonne giggled at Kurtis and Thursday's groaning. Both she and Etna were enjoying the attention they were getting. Flonne then turned to Laharl. "So Laharl-san, what do you think? Laharl-san…?"

Laharl, on the other hand, was so impressed that he couldn't say anything. In fact, he was so impressed that he almost felt…jealous that Flonne could work so well with Etna. _That attack…how did she and Etna pull it off? Grrrrr…how does she work so well with that fool? I bet I can do better if I was with Flonne!_

"Laharl-san…?" Flonne was a bit worried. She too felt that their power of teamwork made Laharl jealous, too.

Etna also picked up on it, and, as everyone would probably have guessed, used it on Laharl. "Ooooh. Is the wittle Prince jealous that me and Flonne could work so well together?"

A vein popped in Laharl's forehead. The loud shockwave that indicated Laharl's anger followed afterward. "JEALOUS!?! YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! WHY THE HELL WOULD I BE JEALOUS!?!"

"Hmmmm, maybe it's because you…"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT!!!!" Laharl warned Etna. He knew perfectly well what she was going to tease him about. Then…

"Heh. So the great Overlord is still sexually confused, eh?" Everyone turned to the source of the voice. The source had blond hair and an outfit that revealed quite a bit of cleavage.

"Why you friggin witch!!!! Get her over here now, Marjoly!!!!"

"Ease up, Overlord. I need your help right now…" Marjoly weakly said, as she floated down to Laharl. When she reached the ground, she nearly collapsed. Upon investigation there appeared to be burns on her face and bruises in a couple of places. She was in terrible shape. "Please, destroy Priere."

"What!?!"

Marjoly coughed a bit before continuing. "I noticed that there was something wrong with Priere. When I got there, she was acting quite strange. I have also noticed an evil aura within her body, a very unusual aura. I asked her if anything strange was going on, ifshe happened to fight someone. And thenshe turned on me. Usually, we'd fight each other to a draw, but this time she was too powerful. I couldn't do anything against her. She even learned some powerful demonic attacks that I not even I knew...and that's when I noticed what happened: she was being controlled by someone."

"Controlled?"

"Yes. I noticed a stem on the ground, with a large spike in place of where a flower should be. I also saw rose petals on the floor. My assumption is that someone used the flower to control her."

"But how can this person fight with a flower?"

Marjoly coughed a bit before continuing again. "It's hard to understand, but there are special spells that require enormous amounts of energy. When used, these spells can cause serious harm onto the opponent. These spells were however forbidden to use."

"Why were they forbidden?"

"Because death followed after the spell was cast." Everyone became silent for a moment. A spell that could cause death to its user was something no one wanted to use. Marjoly continued. "There were exceptions to that rule. Only a select few could wield such power without dying from its effects."

"And what were those exceptions?"

"Cross breeds. In others words, an outcast of the demon, angel, human races." Everyone knew what an exception was. These outcasts were often cross breeds of demons, angels, or humans. They were either born of taboo or were induced into them through magical means. These exceptions were often looked down upon and ostracized. Marjoly looked at them with serious eyes. "So go and kill her before she causes any damage."

"We can't do that!!!" Flonne exclaimed. "Priere's our friend! We can't kill her off because some villain is controlling her!!!"

"I'm not saying she's our friend." Laharl said. "But Flonne's right. Besides I'd rather have her as the Alternate Overlord than anyone else here. At least she's more of a challenge than most the demons here."

"It's great that you guys would understand that Priere isn't the real cause of this chaos." Marjoly said. "But…like I said…you can't break the spell. The only way to break it is if another one disables it or heals from it. The only one could get rid of ailments caused by a cross breed…is another cross breed."

"Hold a second." Jennifer interjected. "I believe we have our own cross breed." Jennifer had everyone's full attention. She knew that that there was something that could be done about this. "Flonne-chan, as a Fallen Angel you're still an angel, correct?"

Flonne wasa bit puzzled about the question, but nodded in reply. "Yes."

"At the same, you're also a demon, correct?"

"Well yes."

Marjoly looked at Jennifer, seeing that she might be on to something. "What are you trying to imply?"

"That Flonne, a Fallen Angel, might also be considered an exception." Everyone thought about it, and realized that Jennifer could be right. A fallen angel is an angel that still has angelic traits but also has demonic traits. If this was true, then Flonne falls may very well be an exception.

"That's quite an interesting theory." Marjoly said. "But are you sure that the lil Fallen Angel can do this. Your theory might not come out exactly true. Even if she was originally an angel and turned into a fallen angel, that could simply mean she's only a demon, not both. Furthermore, even if she was an exception, are you sure she has the power to do this?" Everyone thought about it. If everything goes to plan, Flonne may be able to save Priere's life. However, taking the risk may destroy her own life, if she isn't an exception. In addition, if she is an exception, does she have enough power to heal Priere and bring her back?

Finally, Laharl broke the silence and gave his reply. "We'll take the risk." Everyone glanced toward him. They didn't know if he was crazy or what. "We may not know if Flonne is an exception or not, but if we don't try, it'll be useless. It's our only clue to saving Priere. Beside, I bet Flonne doesn't wanna feel like a complete waste, nowdo you Flonne?"

Flonne nodded, determined to see this through. "Hai! While it is risky, if we don't do anything about it, it will feel like we've come here for nothing. If I'm going to take the risk, I'll do it for Priere's sake."

Marjoly chuckled. "You're feeling confident."

"Actually I'm feeling a little scared." Flonne replied weakly. "If I don't have enough power, I—"

"What are you worrying about?" Laharl told her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "You just performed that powerful attack back there, and yet you say you can't do it?"

Flonne looked down at Laharl. She remembered what he said about his eyes. How it could cleanse the soul, like the red moon. She smiled, as her fears began to fade. "You're right, Laharl-san. I can do it. Thank you."

Laharl simply grinned and turned his back to Flonne. "Heh. There's no need to thank me."

"Trying to look cool for Flonne-chan, aren't you Prince?" Etna once again teased Laharl.

"WOULD YOU JUST STOP IT!?!"

Marjoly giggled under her breath. "You all seem confident." Marjoly felt their aura. She knew that they had the power to do this. "Very well then, I'll use some of my remaining magic to get you into the Priere's throne room." Marjoly summoned her powers into her fingertips. She then released the power in the form of a dimensional portal. "This will automatically get you into Priere's throne room. You'll most likely find her there. One more thing: She has gotten much more powerful than before. She will have many new attacks that may destroy you. That being said, are you still willing to save her?"

Laharl grinned. This new Priere may prove to be quite a challenge. "Well we made it this far. Beside, if what you say is true, then this new Priere might give me a challenge."

Marjoly chuckled, knowing that she could trust the Netherworld's Overlord and his colleagues. "I see. Very well, enter the castle and good luck with defeating your new challenge." And with that in mind, Laharl and the rest entered the portal, not knowing what the new Priere might have up her sleeve.

After traveling through the portal, Laharl and the rest of the team found themselves inside the castle. In fact, they were inside the throne room. The entire place looked like glass. Shiny, royal purple glass to be exact. It beauty amazed the defender team and Flonne. Laharl, however, sneered at the castle.

"Too shiny. She should've chosen something that doesn't reflect…" Laharl complained.

"Yeah, and I don't see anything that I could steal." Etna moaned.

Aramis sighed. "What did you come here for, Etna-san?"

Suddenly, laughter began to echo throughout the castle. The laughter kept getting louder, getting more and more creepier with each laugh. It sounded like something evil was coming their way.

Laharl, having enough of this, finally shouted into the air. "Who's there!?!"

The laughter stopped, and was replaced by a small giggle. "You're so rude, coming here and demanding 'who's there'!"

Laharl simply sneered at the voice's origin. "Sheesh. Not only does the 'new you' sound horrible; you go and copy other people. You're so pathetic."

"Look who's talking! The great Overlord of the Netherworld must fight me with his vassals by his side." Laharl gritted his teeth as the voice continued to insult him. "And you didn't bring your vassals to attack beside you. You brought them to attack for you. After all…" Suddenly, the origin of the voice, jumped in from the shadows. She placed her hands on her hips and grinned mischievously at Laharl. "I am not only strong, but I also have your greatest weakness. You fear even the observing my sexy body, am I right?" Priere smirked as she watched Laharl cower in fear behind Flonne. "I rest my case."

Laharl gritted his teeth. He couldn't face her at all, with his weakness in the way. "Grrrrrr…we can't get the real Priere back without getting her down first." Laharl turned to his fellow battlers. "Alright guys, take her down. I'll use my long range attacks from back here!"

Gordon stood gallantly in front of Laharl and gave him a salute. "You can count on us, Overlord." He turned to Priere. "Now Ms. Priere, you must come to your senses. If you can't then I shall help you with my justice!!!" Gordon rushed at Priere, charging energy into his fist. Finally after the power reached it maximum, he let out his powerful punch, but he wasn't finished with just that one punch. "Gordon Blitz!!!" Just as the punch connected, he began a series of hard hitting kicks and punches. From the looks of things, it looked like Priere was getting battered. Finally, he pulled out his blaster and charged it with energy. When it reached it's fullest let out the energy in the form of a shot that pierced Priere. The shot exploded as it hit her. Gordon grinned, putting his hands on his hips. "Justice has been served evil doer. Flonne, go ahead and heal her."

"You must be quite the idiot to think that you could defeat me with that worthless attack." When Gordon turned around, the smoke dissipated, but Priere was still there, grinning evilly. "I wonder why the Overlord would choose a worthless vassal as yourself."

"Sometimes I ask that question myself…" Laharl groaned in disgust with Gordon's attack.

"Hey! We're supposed to be on the same team!!!" Gordonshouted back.

"I'm tired of this…" Priere began to charge up her powers. A powerful aura began to emerge, as she twirled her baton. Gordon could feel something coming up, so he retreated to his other teamates.

"Jennifer, Thursday, Kurtis, let us all join forces and show her the spirit of a defender!!!"

"I'll do this if you say that I'm superior." Kurtis insisted. However, he just got a whapped by Jennifer. "What!?! I'm just joking!!!"

"If we're going to defeat Priere, we must do it together!!" Jennifer encouraged everyone.

Thursday agreed. "Blip beep, Thursday will help Jennifer, Gordon, and Kurtis!!!"

The four defenders huddled together and raised their fists high into the air. They charged their energy into their fists. Their energy soon resonated with each other, and the power began to form a sword. The sword grew larger as they continued to charge their energy. When its power was at it's peak, they all pulled back and readied their attack. "Defenders of Earth Team Strike: Defender Sword of Justice!!!!" Once readied, they brought down their sword of energy onto Priere. Priere took one look at the energyblade and scoffed at their futile attempt.

"Is that what you have prepared for me!?! You're all pathetic!!! Now baton, go and destroy the fools!!! Demonic Wind Slicer!!!!" After gathering her power inside the baton, Priere tossed it at them. The faster it moved, the larger the baton became. Soon, the baton began to look like a spinning blade. The Defender Sword attempted to cut through, but it was Wind Slicer that sliced through it. Its blade couldn't be stopped, and so the Defender team was defeated. Of all the Defenders, only Thursday survived. However, his metallic body received damage, and some of his functions weren't working. Gordon, Jennifer, and Kurtis were unconcious. The only one's left was Laharl, Flonne, Etna, and Aramis, and they were surprised that Priere could defeat them all in one hit. Even if they weren't so strong, that last attack should've at least left a dent. Something told them that they were going to step it up. Priere continued to grin, looking for her next opponent. "Who's next?"

Etna looked down at Laharl, noticing that he was still way in the back, behind Flonne. Etna placed her hand on her forehead and sighed. "Prince…how are we gonna defeat her if you're just standing back there?"

Laharl wouldn't budge. He couldn't get up there and fight his weakness. "No way! I can't go up there!!"

"You're such a baby, Prince!!! Are you saying that you're gonna let her defeat you because she has a sexy body!?!" Etna scolded him.

Laharl didn't know what to say. He, being the arrogant demon he is, cannot afford to lose to Priere. However, the predicament he was in, forced him into a tight spot. With his weakness in the way, he had no choice, but to nod.

Etna groaned in disgust. "And to think I spent my life training you…c'mon Aramis! The least we could do is get this over with! Flonne-chan, get her back to normal once we're done."

Flonne looked back at Laharl. She couldn't bear seeing him like this. When she turned back to Etna, she slowly shook her head. "No, I cannot see Laharl-san feel defeated like this. If we're going to defeat Priere-san, we need Laharl-san. We can't beat her on our own."

"But Flonne-chan…"

"Etna-san!!!" Flonne was really serious this time, and Etna knew it. It was best for Etna to listen to her."You said it yourself. You spent years trying to keep a promise to Krichevskoy-san: the promise to help Laharl-san become a magnificent Overlord. If we leave Laharl-san like this forever, he'll never become a great Overlord! Don't tell me that's what you want?"

"No, but—"

"Exactly! Have faith in Laharl-san. I'll try and help him up. Meanwhile, try to at least distract Priere-san. It would make the battle easier if she was weakened."

Etna nodded in reply. She knew that Flonne was right. "Okay! Aramis and I will keep her at bay. Make sure the Prince is up before this is over!"

"Hai!"

"And Flonne."

"Yes, Etna-san?"

"Arigato…"

"Hai. Your welcome."

With Etna's grin back on her face, she turned to Aramis, ready to fight. "Are you ready, Aramis?"

"I HAVE been ready…" Aramis sarcastically replied.

"Heh. Alright, let's ready our team attack." Both Etna and Aramis began to glow. The light illuminated the entire room. Soon, Prinnies and Zombies started falling from the sky, surrounding Priere. Now that she was completely surrounded, Etna and Aramis snapped their fingers and initiated their attack. "Prinny Zombie Combo Blast: Undead Pringer Blitz!!!!" Suddenly, the surrounding zombies pointed their gatling gun arms at Priere and soon, began to strafe Priere. The Prinnies jumped into the air and began bombing Priere with kamikaze attacks. The attack continued for a long time until the last Prinny hit Priere. When the smoke lifted, Priere staggered out of the smoke…with a barrier on. It seemed like some of them hit though, and the barrier looked like it was about to shatter. "Damn, and I thought she would take real damage."

Priere laughed at them haughtily. "Hahahaha!! Did you really think I'd let that hit me? Well at least you forced me into using my barrier and nearly shattered it. You're obviously a lot better than those morons I defeated earlier."

Etna grinned a bit, knowing that she might have a chance at this. "Well of course. Did you really think I'd let myself get beaten like that?"

"True, very true. However, this means that I must fight more seriously from now on. Prepare yourself for the worst!" Priere clutched her ribbon in her hands, and dashed at Etna. Priere tried to smack Etna with her baton, but Etna blocked it with her spear. "This may be interesting."

"Keep yapping away!" Etna said as she hit Priere away. She clutched the spear with both hand, pointing it at Priere. "You may find yourself on the ground."

Priere grinned. She was really enjoying this. "Well at least this will prove to be quite a challenge. C'mon, show me what you've got!"

As Etna and Aramis kept Priere at bay, Flonne knelt down to Laharl, patting him on the head. She wanted to get him back on his feet. "Please Laharl-san, get up. Etna-san and Aramis-san are trying to their best to stall Priere-san. In turn, you must go up and help them."

"Why should I?" Laharl muttered under his breath. His bangs plastered all over his face. "I can't defeat my own weakness. I can't defeat a girl with a sexy body."

"But you tolerated Jennifer-san's body. You said it yourself."

"It doesn't matter. I can't defeat my own weakness…" Suddenly, Laharl began to feel warm. That fresh scent from before had returned. Laharl opened his eyes. Flonne was hugging him again. Normally, the warm embrace would've made him scream, but now it felt so comforting. It felt so strange to him. "Why are you doing this?"

"You see, Laharl-san? When I used to hug you, you would cuss me off, telling the Love Freak to let go, but now you don't even mind it." Flonne cheek began to touch Laharl's. Laharl was a little frightened, but didn't try to escape.He didn't want thiswarm and comforting feeling to leave."If you can stand this, I'm sure you can take Priere's sexy body. Won't you try again?"

Laharl thought about what Flonne was saying. Flonne was hugging him, a part of his nightmare that he wished would go away, but now he wasn't struggling. He wasn't doing anything. Laharl wanted to believe it. He wanted to go up and show that he could take on Priere. "Flonne…"

"Laharl-san, please go and—" Before she could finish, she felt something hit her. She didn't know what hit her, but whatever it was, it made her weak. She stared at Laharl-san for a split second, and then blacked out. She collapsed to the ground. There were no signs of life.

Laharl grabbed Flonne and tried shaking her up. "Flonne!!! Snap out of it!!! Flonne!!! Flonne!!!!" There was no response. Flonne had been knocked out. Laharl began to grit his teeth. He turned to where Aramis and Etna were fighting Priere. Aramis had already been knocked out, and Etna was clutching her shoulder. She could hardly stand. Priere, except for a few scratches, was still up and perfectly fine.

"Well, it seems like you're out of tricks, Etna." Priere chided her. "You have no chance against me, and your only way to stop me is now injured."

Etna glared at Priere, clutching her spear in her hands. "I'm not letting you get away with this!!"

Priere scoffed at her. "Heh. You can't simply give up, can you? Well then, I might as well finish you off." Priere charged at Etna, ready to finish her off. Then…

"Wrong!! It is I who will finish you!!!!" In that instant, Priere was knocked back into a wall. She felt an enormous surge of power just now. Just as she was about to get up, her attacker moved up to her, with his fist powered by an angry fire. Etna finally glanced at the battle. She noticed that Priere was being blown back someone else. Someone who had finally awaken. _Prince…_ "Blazing Knuckles!!!" The attack pushed her back into the wall, but it wasn't over. Laharl had begun to summon the fire from the ground in the form of blazing fireballs. Laharl raised his arms up into the sky, and when the flames reached the limits of their power, Laharl threw them all at Priere. "Overlord's Wrath!!!!!" The inferno left burn marks on Priere everywhere.

Priere coughed. She felt her strength draining already, and it was only a few hits. She glared at Laharl. "So you really had that much power…"

"Yeah, and there's more where that came from." Laharl said as he pointed his sword viciously at Priere. "Anyone who hurts Flonne will writhe in my flames."

Suddenly, Priere's eyes widened. She seemed like she was in a state of shock. "I…hurt…Flonne-chan…" Priere closed her for a few minutes, and then opened them again. This time she was glaring viciously at Laharl. "To think you'd let her get hurt by me. For that, you deserve a punishment worse than death!!"

"Me!?! You're the one who hurt Flonne!!!" But Priere didn't listen. She began to charge her attack again. Whatever she was using, there was one thing for sure: it was going to be her strongest attack. Laharl responded back by charging his powers. This time, he was charging his powers to it's fullest. There was no way he'd lose to the a fake Priere. Finally, his powers reachest his peak. Laharl raised his fist into the air, summoning his ultimate attack. "Meteor Impac--!!!" However, he was interrupted by a tug on his cape. He looked behind him and saw a bit blonde. "Flonne…?"

"Laharl-san, please…we have to save Priere-san. If you use your attack, you might kill her."

"But—"

"Remember, we're here to save Priere."

Priere overheard the couple and began to laugh. "Save me? You have no chance at getting that weak girl back. I'm the new Priere! I will destroy you all!!"

Laharl glanced back at Flonne. Her eyes were pleading him to stop, to withdraw his attack. Laharl groaned. "Well what are we going to do then?"

"Keep your energy up." Flonne told him as sheheld Laharl's waist. Suddenly, the two began to float into the air. While they were floating, Flonne started to charge her energy. Soon, Laharl's demonic energy and Flonne's angelic energy became one. The energy charged right into Laharl's sword. Laharl could feel the power they were generating. He began to smile. Flonne smiled along with him. "We are going to save her."

"Whatever team attack you have planned won't work against me!! This is the end!!! Requiem Aeternum!!!!!" Suddenly, a demonic energy began to swirl her body and shot out towards Laharl. It's power couldn't be stopped by anything.

Laharl began to grin. This was going to be their victory. "Now!!! Angel Demon Team Attack: Divine Ragnarok!!!!" Suddenly, numerous blue and redbeams shot out of the sky and Priere. The attack not only severely injured her, it halted her Requiem Aeternum. Laharl and Flonne's attack wasn't even over. The rest of the energy was now gathering within his sword. When it hard reached it's peak, the sword's energy became so big, that it extended the sword. The sword swirled with red and blue energy. Finally, Flonne threw Laharl at Priere. As Laharl darted towards Priere, he hold his sword above his head, and with all his might, performed a big slash. However, by putting so much energy into it, his vision began to blur. Soon his eyes closed, and was soon swallowed in darkness.

It was too dark to see. Laharl couldn't see anything. Suddenly, a voice called out to him.

_Laharl-san_

_Laharl-san wake up_

"Nnn." Laharl finally opened his eyes. Flonne was sitting beside him, smiling brightly. "Flonne?"

Right next to her, unfortunately, was Etna. She teasing him once again. "Waking up to see your lover, doesn't that make you feel happy inside Prince?"

"Shut up, Etna!!" Laharl chided her as he got up.

"Sheesh. At least you have one..." Etna muttered under her breath.

Laharl got up off his bed and, after blinking a couple of times,checked his surroundings. After noticing that there was blinding light hitting his eyes, he realized where he was. "We're still in Priere Castle, aren't we?"

"Yup." They all turned to the doorway. Priere was walking in. This time, there was no evil aura or any hint of malice. In other words, she was back to her ol' ass kicking self.

"Heh. So you got better fairly quickly." However one thing still puzzled Laharl. Something that has been on his mind the minute Priere walked in. "How did we get back the real Priere?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Flonne asked Laharl. "When we attacked her, some of my power was in it. When I gave some of my power to you, I made sure the power would bring back Priere. Pretty weird, isn't it?"

Laharl remembered what Marjoly said. What she said about exceptions, despite being looked down upon, had incredible power. Would this mean that Flonne's power is stronger that Laharl's? And then the attack on Priere and everything that has transpired has been caused by an exception. Would this be the last they ever hear of this mysterious attacker.

"Laharl-san?"

"Oh...heh. Yeah. Then again, you're always the weird one, Love Freak."

Even if it was an insult, Flonne couldn't help but smile. She could see a new strength within him. "Tee hee."

"Well I'm glad you were able to survive that." Priere interjected. "If it went any further, I could've kicked the crap outta you."

Laharl crossed his arms and began to chuckle. "That's very funny. You kicking the crap outta me? That's a dream that'll never be realized, oh busty one!!"

"Laugh it up, brat." Priere said, placing her hands on her hips. "Your weakness prevents you from doing anything to me."

"Crap, you're right..."

Then, Priere began to laugh. Laharl, of course, felt too embarassed to even shout back. However, it seems that Priere wasn't there to mock him. "Overlord, don't you even realize that I've been standing here for five minutes and you haven't yelped even once?"

Etna began to notice it too. "Hey, she's right! You're not even closing your eyes or anything!"

Laharl's began to widen. All his life, he feared sexy bodies, but now he's standing in front of Priere, perfectly calm. He didn't know if he wanted to faint or cheer. It was just too new to him.

Flonne saw the confusion on his face, and began to smile. "Don't be so naive, Laharl-san. Be happy that you finally got over your greatest weakness. Its something you should be proud of."

However, Laharl didn't listen to Flonne. He needed to find a reason, but there was only one possible reason, which he said for all to hear. Something which he would probably regret. "Maybe it's because Priere isn't that sexy anymore." When you're talking to someone as explosive as Priere, that's the last thing you want to say. Laharl should know, because they're practically the same.

Priere's reaction was too predictable. She ran up to Laharl and kicked him the stomach. "NOT SEXY!?! YOU'RE SO DEAD, YOU BRATTY OVERLORD!!!!" She then took out her baton and began whacking him senseless.

Laharl, however, was a bit dense, so maybe it didn't click that saying Priere wasn't sexy would piss her off. Since he somehow didn't realize it, he took his sword and began to fight her. "WHAT THE HELL DID I DO, YOU BALLOON CHESTED DITZ (Wow, never heard that one before)!?!" Those who came in were in for a rude awakening. Their vassals had to come in and pull the two hotheads apart.

"Those two are sooo alike..." Etna muttered under her breath.

"Hai!" Flonne cheerfully replied. Even if it was a big fight in which the two were claiming to kill each other, Flonne was just glad they wereback to normal. "Two Overlords, two different worlds, yet they're both incredibly similar."

Etna began to sighed, and soon grinned. She felt a little better knowing that Laharl had finally come to his senses. "At least we got Priere back, and the Prince's weakness is gone. It's feels awkward not being able to tease him about that anymore..."

Flonne giggled. "Don't worry, Etna-san. You'll find something to tease him about."

Uh oh. Etna had that twinkle in her eye. The sign of something bad. "Yeah, like about you two falling in love."

Flonne began to blush, but instead of acting like Laharl and become defensive, she calmly replied, "You can tease Laharl-san about that. You can't do that with me."

"So you're admiting it, aren't you?" Etna nudged her, trying to convice her to let out her secret.

Flonne winked back at her, giving Etna her answer. "That, you'll have to see for yourself."

* * *

**Next Episode**

Etna: Mmmm...the flowers are in bloom, the sakura are falling, and love is in the air.

Flonne: Oooooh. This is my kind of show!!!

Laharl: I'm not gonna listen to this.

Etna: But there are still those who hate love out there, and they're trying to separate the Prince and Flonne-chan!!!

Flonne: Love haters!?! And they're trying to get me away from Laharl-san!!!

Laharl: Heh. At least we're in this one. Finally, Etna isn't gonna be talking about herself.

Etna: But no matter what they do, the Prince and Flonne-chan cannot be stopped!! After all, they love each other too dearly to let go! Teehee...

Flonne: ::blushing:: Etna-san, please stop teasing me like that!!!

Laharl: FOR THE LAST TIME, WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!!!!

Etna: Next time on **Her love, His headache: Let's do it our away! **Mmmmm...do I sense a bed scene?

Flonne: ::blushing furiously:: Uh...isn't this PG-13...?

Laharl: ::has already fainted::

* * *

Yeah, this one was a weird one. If you're wondering whatI was trying to base the Next Episode skit off of,its "His and HerCircumstances".Sorry, if Priere and Marjoly seem WAAAY OOC. I, unfortunately, haven't reached even Prinny Land in my game (I did, however, reach Cave of Ordeals). I can't reach the other levels now that my PS2 is still broken, so I have no idea how Priere and Marjoly act, or even how they fight (which was part of the reason why I made up some attacks). The only thing I'm familiar with Priere, is that she is the same Prier from La Pucelle. Because I'm only familiar with that Prier, I had no choice but to use her. You're probably asking why I decided to do this chapter then if I had no knowledge of Priere. That's because I wanted something to further the plot of the fic, without going right into the action, so I thought 'why not have someone be possessed?', and so I chose Priere. Besides, this will tie into my next Disgaea fic.Making up the attacks were hard though. I wanted everyone to imagine the attacks as super flashy, without making it look gay. And if you were wondering whyI always had something like 'Something Blah Team Attack:' it just sounded a little cool. I probably won't use it in the future though. Expect more attacks in future chapters. Anyway, wanna know what happens next? Well let's just say that our favorite cast of demons, angels, and defenders are celebrating a certain holiday. 


	7. Taking the Next Step

**Author's notes:** After that incredibly short Christmas vacation, I'm back and ready to roll. Oh guess what? I got the latest Disgaea novel: 'On Love', a perfect novel for Laharl/Flonne fans. You'll be literally laughing out loud when you see that little scene of Laharl accidentally peeking at Flonne…while she's taking a bath. You just have to see his face. Too bad its only part one. I will be sure to pick up part two as well as the first novel 'Enter the Maoh'.

As for the questions about not making Laharl the cross breed, just wait and see for yourself. Seriously, just because Laharl's has a demon father and a human mother doesn't automatically make him a cross breed or a half demon or whatever you want to call it. It just makes it more likely. I took bio and I know very well that a cross breed occurs more likely if the two parents are of different races, but doesn't actually mean it. This is just to make you guys aware, but wait and see if Laharl is actually a cross breed. Besides, if Laharl were a half demon, then it would screw up all that Flonne has done in the game (Remember, Flonne is trying to show that DEMONS have love in their hearts, using Laharl as an example). Oh and Bella, once again, this was Quick Edit's fault. I don't know why admin. Tells us to use Quick Edit to edit when it adds even more typos and errors (Quick Edit is really messing up my fics. Admin. HAS TO fix it, for they are the one's who say to check everything through Quick Edit)

Anyway, time to get this next chapter out. Like I said before, Laharl and the others begin to celebrate a certain holiday. No, it's not Christmas. This one is a total Laharl/Flonne chapter. Think of this as the calm before the storm. Now read on!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any character in Disgaea, except for Yuki, the black-cloaked dude (who'll finally be named at the end of the chapter), and the mysterious duo, Chiroko and Kuroyami.

**

* * *

****Episode 7: Taking the Next Step**

It has already been two weeks since Yuki's last visit. Flonne stared out into the Netherworld. It was early morning once again, but this time it was…a little too early. Flonne kept looking for any sign of an angel coming down onto the balcony. With her was the feather that Yuki gave her before he left. She waited for his return, hoping to get more out of him. Then…

"Flonne…"

Flonne quickly turned around, this time trying her best not to whack the person behind her. She was relieved. It was only Laharl. "Ah, Laharl-san, why are you awake so early in the morning?"

"I could ask you the same question." Laharl replied, as he came out onto the balcony. He already knew about Flonne's hobby in watching the Netherworld 'wake up', but there was something odd about her coming out here lately.

"Don't you remember? I come out here to watch the sleepy Netherworld become a fully active Netherworld."

"I know that, but you've been coming out here a little too early lately." Laharl was right. Ever since they saved Priere in the Alternate Netherworld, Flonne has been leaving the bedroom earlier than usual. Even ifit were to watch the Netherworld become alive, she wouldn't get up so early just to do that."It's no wonder you've been so wobbly when you go down to make breakfast."

"I'm sorry, Laharl-san."

"It's okay, Flonne. Now tell me why you're out here so early."

Flonne couldn't hide it anymore. She had to tell the truth. "I…just want to see him."

"Him?"

"Yeah. About a month ago…I met a guy, an angel actually. He has become my newest friend…but it's been two weeks since I last saw him. I don't know where he is anymore."

"So you're out here waiting for him?" Laharl asked her.

"Yes. He always comes to me early in the morning. I was hoping he'd come by if I woke up a little earlier."

Laharl began to grin. Soon that turned into a chuckle. There was a gleam in his eye. All these indicated one thing: he wanted to meet him. "Hmhmhm. So the Love Freak is out here for a new friend? I must meet this guy! I wanna turn him into my vassal!!!"

It was just as Flonne predicted. Laharl would only like this guy if he strong in battle or if he were to become his vassal. That's when something popped into her head. "Hey, Laharl-san, can you be his friend?"

"Are you serious…?"

"Yeah! That way all of us can be friends!"

Despite all that has happened, Laharl's view on love and friendship hasn't changed much. He was still the type of demon who would resent it. "No way!! I don't wanna be dragged into your gay friendship thing again, you Love Freak!!!"

"LAHARL-SAN!!!"

He stared back at Flonne, with fiery eyes. It seemed like Laharl had resentment towards a certain person. "I told you before: I hate love! I hate friendship! Besides, that 'friend' of yours makes you wait outside too early in the morning and this has been going on for two weeks!!!"

"I just want to see him again…that's all…"

"Still are you gonna wait here for him all night?"

"Of course, I am. I want to see him."

"I see…"

Flonne saw a pained look on Laharl's face. She didn't know why he was getting upset over it, but it seemed like the more they talked about him, the more he'd get upset. Suddenly, she began to realize why Laharl might be a little upset: he could be a tiny bit afraid of her new friend. He was afraid that her new friend would be the new existence in her heart. In other words, he was almost jealous. Flonne decided to speak no more about it. "I'm sorry…if I…hurt your feelings…Laharl-san…"

"You didn't hurt anything. You're always standing out here, waiting for your friend. It gets really cold out here early in the morning. I don't want to have to take care of you just because you're waiting for your friend…"

_So he was also worried about me… _Flonne patted Laharl on the head, hoping to cheer him up. "I'm sorry; I won't stay out here so early anymore."

"Good. Now get inside before you catch a cold." As Laharl was about to go back inside, Flonne stopped him. "Hm? What is it now?"

Flonne hesitated a bit. She didn't want to hurt him any further, but she wanted to know, so she asked him. "Can you please answer my question: will you be his friend?"

Laharl stared at her for a minute. He didn't know how to answer back. Even if he didn't like Flonne's new friend, he didn't want to make Flonne sad again. Laharl sighed and decided to nod. "Yeah, I guess it wouldn't hurt. He should at least become my vassal." Flonne felt overjoyed. Laharl finally agreed with her. Not only that, but Laharl didn't seem all that jealous anymore. Even if he said he wanted her friend to be a vassal, at least he agreed to be his friend. Then Laharl decided to ask her, "By the way, does this friend have a name?"

"Of course he does." Flonne replied. "His name is Yuki."

"Yuki, huh? Doesn't that mean 'snow'?"

"Yeah, I think it doe—" Suddenly, Flonne began to cough. Being exposed to the cold air long enough can make a person a little sick, or at least cough a bit.

Laharl looked at her and shook his head. "I told you'd get sick out here." He could see Flonne shivering. She really was cold, something she got for going outside very in the morning. Laharl sighed, seeing that he had no choice. Before he did anything, he made sure no one else was around. When the coast was clear, he took off his cape and wrapped it around Flonne. "Heh. That's what you get for going outside very early in the morning. I hope this can keep warm you up."

Flonne nodded, blushing all the while. To have Laharl take off his cape and wrap her up with it was unexpected, yet comforting. Flonne closed her eyes and continued to cling to his cape. "Yes…thank you…Laharl-san…"

"Don't get any ideas, Love Freak. I want my cape back right away!"

"But why?"

"Because it's mine, okay!?!"

"Aw…okay…" Flonne moaned. Laharl then turned back towards his room and went inside. As he went towards his coffin, she noticed a pair of very small demon wings on his back. In fact, they were even smaller than Flonne's or Etna's, and they were limp. Flonne began to giggle. "I've never seen Laharl-san without his cape before. His wings look so cute." That's when she heard shouting coming from Laharl's room.

"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO CATCH A COLD THEN GET INSIDE!!!"

"Hai!!!" As Flonne ran inside the room, she looked towards balcony. The person she was waiting for wasn't there, but she was happy to be able to talk to Laharl again. To know that he truly did care for her. _I'm sorry if you're out there Yuki-san, but please come and see me again…and one day meet Laharl-san…_

From a nearby keep of the Castle, a pair of amber eyes shone through the darkness. His eyes were set on the room with the balcony. He glared angrily at the site where two demons were enjoying themselves. He turned his back towards the room, and jumped off the keep, letting his wings take flight into the moonlit sky. _You're next…Overlord Laharl…_

That morning, Laharl was once again eating his breakfast, with his cape back on his back. Thankfully, Flonne kept her promise and gave his cape back to him. Why he always keeps his cape on is pretty much a mystery.

Today was a little special, and it was scaring Laharl. He had a really bad feeling. The type of feeling that made his rabbit ear hair stand on its ends. The reason for that was seeing all his female vassals walking around with lists and talking to some of his male vassals. The male vassals either nodded or ran out screaming. Just now, he witnessed Naruto fleeing from Hazuki. Steilhang was fine with Sarah. Hiroshi, however, was surrounded by a lot of female demons. He stood on a podium, with a gavel in hand.

"Okay, we'll start the bid 200, 000, 000 HL." Hiroshi said as he pounded his gavel.

These indications made Laharl tremble in fear. There was something wrong today. He then turned to Flonne and asked her, "Hey, Flonne, what's today?"

Flonne thought about it for a minute and came up with one conclusion. "I believe today is Poisonday 28, the month of Hellpyre." That's when Laharl's trembling became even worse. He knew about that date. Everyone knew about that date, especially the female demons. _No…don't tell me today is… _"It means that today is Thankstakings day!!!" Laharl smacked his forehead in dismay. _Noooooo!!!! Anything but that!!!!! _Flonne noticed Laharl's fear and became a little concerned. "What's wrong, Laharl-san?"

Laharl started to sound a little jumpy, which was a little awkward for the normally arrogant Overlord. "Oh nothing!!! Look, let's just leave all the vassals today, including Etna, and just get out of here, okay!?!"

"Wait, but Laharl-san!!"

"Don't wanna go? That's fine! Make sure to terrorize another demon for me!!! Bye!!!" Just as Laharl was about to leave, a hand reached out and grabbed his cape, preventing him from leaving. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

His eternal tormentor grinned as she held her grip on his cape. "Why are you leaving, Prince? It's Thankstakings day!!!!"

"That's exactly why I'm leaving!!!! Now let me go before I rip out your intestines and choke you with them!!!!"

However, Etna wouldn't let go. She almost enjoyed seeing this much fear on Laharl's face. "Wow, I didn't think you had such a vivid imagination."

Soon, Jennifer entered the room. She noticed that everyone was acting a little different, especially Laharl, who struggling his way out her of her grip like a child. "What's wrong with Laharl-chan? And why are all the girls asking the guys out? Is it a special holiday?"

Etna's eyes began to glow and her grin got even bigger. It only happened on this day. "Oh today's Thankstakings day."

As a human who is not familiar with Netherworld customs, Jennifer was a little curious to know more about this holiday. "What's Thankstakings day? Is it like Thanksgivings day?"

As the current expert on the holiday, Etna decided to tell Jennifer about this special day. "Well I don't know what Thanksgivings day is or whatever you call it, but Thankstakings day is that one time of year where every demon get the chance to steal anything they want in the Netherworld. Most of the time, the girls take over this day. They often ask or, most of the time, force the guys into stealing stuff for them. So in other words, this is time of year when girls get whatever they want!"

Jennifer's eyes began to light up. There was only one holiday on Earth, on a certain country that had a similar mechanic. "So this means that Thankstakings day is similar to Girls' Day without having to buy anything?"

Girls' Day had a very similar premise: guys do what girls say. Often times, that leads to carrying bags and spending all their money for them. The difference is that they have to waste their money. Thankstakings Day allows grand larceny, so it all comes down to grabbing whatever they want. Still, this does lead to a lot more fights. Apparently, someone else, however, had a feared this day. It made his suave, straight hair spike up. It was something that would turn a hero-turned-wuss into an even bigger wuss. "D-d-did y-you s-say…GIRLS' DAY!?!" That person was none other than Captain Gordon, who was currently trying to escape. However, just as Etna did with Laharl, Jennifer prevented him from leaving. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

"What do you know? Gordon and the Prince think alike." Etna noted as both Gordon and Laharl tried to squirm their way out of this. No matter how much they struggled, they couldn't get out. Rather than hear them whining all day, Etna came up with another plan. "Well I don't know what to do ol' Slayer of the Netherworld, but maybe it would be better if I let you go with, Flonne-chan." Etna nudged Laharl.

"No way! Don't you remember what the Love Freak did last year!?!" Laharl exclaimed. It was something that everyone remembered. Something that left a big scar on Laharl.

**-Flashback-**

"C'mon Flonne-chan, you'll miss the fun. After all, this is your first Thankstakings day isn't it?" Etna nudged Flonne. This was last year's Thankstakings day and like always, everyone was stealing as much as they could. Demons everywhere were caught in a swirling chaos that had no end. Fights broke out everywhere that had a shop, souvenir, or anything that could be stolen. Even whole buildings were ripped off the ground if someone wanted it.

"But I don't want to burden Laharl-san. Besides, I don't really need anything." Flonne shyly replied.

"Don't worry about the Prince. All he has to do is get up and steal it. It's not like you want him to steal a mall or something."

"But…"

"Just make it quick." Laharl groaned. "I have stuff to do afterwards. Just tell me what you want." Having no interest in this holiday, Laharl wanted to make this as fast and as painless as possible.

After a minute of hard thinking, Flonne came up with something that she may want. "Well, then can you get the limited edition Nether Ribbon? I usually have a hard time buying it."

Laharl sighed, but went along with it. "Alright. I'll go see if I can find one. I mean how hard could it be?"

An hour later, Laharl was in one of the shops, searching for the ribbon. He had been through shop after shop, but he couldn't find it. "Geez…why did it have to be the limited edition ribbon? Once I find it, that Love Freak better stop annoying me with her love lessons." After long searching, he finally found it. "Oh there it is." Just as he was about to grab it, someone else was holding the other end. It was another demon, which had been searching all over for the same ribbon. Laharl quickly yanked the ribbon away, but the demon would not let go. "I had it first!!!"

"No, I did!!!" The demon shouted back.

"Well I'm the Overlord, now let go!!!!"

"I don't care if you're even a god!!!" The ribbon caught the sight of more demons. Soon, it became an all out brawl for the piece of cloth. A brawl that Laharl got sucked into.

A few minutes later…

"Laharl-san, are you all right?" asked the worried Flonne. Laharl had returned with bruises, sores, and all sorts of inflictions. He hardly had the strength to get up. He had to crawl over to Flonne just to reach her.

Finally, when he was practically on her feet, he held out the ribbon. "H-here…t-take it…" After that, Laharl's head hit the ground with a loud thud. He was now unconscious.

"Thank you, Laharl-sa--…uh…Laharl-san…why is it tattered…?"

**-End of Flashback-**

"I'm so sorry, Laharl-san!!!" Flonne bowed to Laharl repeatedly. "I didn't know it you would end up fighting for it!!!"

"Stop doing that, Love Freak!!! You don't have to apologize!!!" Even then, Flonne kept trying to apologize to Laharl. He didn't know what to do with her anymore. He began to think again, observing all the girls that had no guys with them. The only two left, however, were Flonne and Etna. He could not get out of this, and there was no way in hell that he would go with Etna. He could not comprehend how much stuff Etna was going to ask him to steal. In addition, it would be better if he and Flonne were alone, than all of them together. He sighed, knowing that there was no choice. "Fine. I'll take the Love Freak." Everyone in the castle gasped. The thought of Laharl and Flonne together was almost to good to be true. Soon afterwards, whispers followed. "Fools!!! I didn't mean it like that!!!!"

"I didn't think you had in you, Prince." Etna teased him. "Do I sense something going on?"

"Shut up and let's get this over with!!! The sooner I get the Love Freak's stuff, the better!!!" Laharl stomped out of the room, and up into the lobby. Etna just kept on poking at Laharl.

Flonne, on the other hand, walked beside Laharl towards the portal. She turned to him. "Laharl-san."

"What is it, Love Freak?"

"Thank you…for letting me come with you."

"Whatever…"

Meanwhile…

"GET HIM!!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" Hiroshi was running from his bidders. Unfortunately, his bidders had realized that since it is Thankstakings Day, they easily run up and take Hiroshi with them. The moral of this story: never hold an auction on Thankstakings Day, especially if you're a high class thief.

At the intersection of Bleeding Ave. and Skull St., Laharl, Flonne, Etna, Aramis, and the Defenders were going over their itinerary for today. Their plan was simple: Etna, Aramis, Jennifer, Gordon, Kurtis, and Thursday would take Bleeding Ave. and take over any store or mall that was there. Flonne would be on her own with Laharl, just as Etna promised. Since Flonne was a little more familiar with Thankstakings day, she did not need Etna around to push her into stealing anything, which was good for Laharl.

After going over all the details, Etna told the Defenders, Aramis, and the Prinnies to head down Bleeding Ave. As they left, Etna whispered in Flonne's ear, "Remember, the Prince is your slave for the day? Go ahead and do whatever you want with him…hehehe…"

"Etna-san, please don't imply anything like that!!"

"Well good luck, Flonne-chan!" Etna turned towards Bleeding Ave. and made her way down the street.

Laharl saw his chance. He was alone with Flonne. There was no Etna in sight, so he made a break for it. Freedom was in sight. Then, his chances of escaping were shattered when his cape was tugged again. This time it was Flonne was clinging to it. "What is it now, Love Freak?"

"I'm sorry, Laharl-san, but Etna-san says that if you leave, she'll bring out those pictures again."

"DAMN IT!!!" Laharl pouted. He had no choice, but to spend the entire day with Flonne. At least Etna wasn't around. "Okay, Love Freak, what do you want?"

The funny thing was that Flonne didn't even know. She wasn't even thinking about getting anything today. Etna pushed Laharl onto her, so she didn't have time to make a list or anything. The only thing she could say was, "Well…nothing really."

"So you don't want anything?"

"Nope."

"Good, then we can head back to the Castle. I'd rather sleep this whole day off…" Laharl began to turn the other way and headed for the Castle. Laharl felt a little better, knowing that he didn't have to worry about diving for some rare souvenir.

Flonne, however, didn't want Laharl to leave. It was a nice day for a normal Thankstakings Day; she didn't want to ruin it. The only thing she really wanted for today was for him to spend time with her. Then, a thought popped into her head, causing her to smile. She the called out to Laharl. "Oh Laharl-san, I know what I want!"

"Make it quick, Love Freak. I don't want to spend anymore time out here."

"I thought that since we're here already, maybe the two of us could spend entire day together."

Now as someone who still hated love, Laharl was a little skeptical about the idea. Two people spending the whole day together sounded like something Laharl would not like. "Are you trying to ask me out on a date…?"

Flonne blushed a bit, but shook her head. "Oh of course not! The two of us are just going to spend the entire day together."

"That's…still a date…"

"Well if that's what you think a date is, then yeah. I'm asking you out on a date!"

"Then here's my answer: I'M LEAVING!!! See you back at the castle Love Freak!!!" Laharl bitterly turned back towards the castle and headed for the castle.

Flonne did not want the day to end like this. There was only way to stop him. "I'll tell Etna-san!!!"

"All right!!!! I'll do whatever you want!!!!" Laharl pouted in disgust. Seems like his Thankstakings day would be another nightmare. "What do you want to do?"

"Well I'm a little hungry. Let's eat."

Laharl sighed. "Fine…" This day couldn't possibly get any worse.

Meanwhile…

"Of all days for your wheels to be rusted!!!!" Gordon groaned as he and Kurtis pushed Thursday, who was carrying a large building. Pushing a robot is harder when he's carrying an entire mall.

"Suck it up and push blip beep."

"Why you--!!"

"We have it better though." Kurtis interjected. "After all, Aramis alone has to carry everything for Etna."

Gordon agreed with Kurtis. Aramis is only a kid, yet he's subjected to all of Etna's order. "I can't believe she force a kid to go through all that!! I mean how can he carry everything Etna steals!?!"

"Blip beep, maybe you should look to your left and see why she chose him." Gordon and Kurtis did as Thursday said and looked to the side. It appears that Aramis has forced his entire zombie team into carrying the Sphinxes building. It all came together. Etna wasn't expecting Aramis to carry everything, she expected him to use his zombies. With a great zombie owner like Aramis, the zombies obediently did what they were told.

As Aramis passed him by, he glanced over at the Defender team and uttered, "It must suck to be you guys…"

Gordon and Kurtis would've killed Aramis by now, but if they were to let go of Thursday, he may drop the mall. The last thing he wanted was a scolding from Jennifer for wrecking her brand new mall, not to mention being splattered like flies wasn't exactly a very nice feeling. Even the nicest of girls can change on a day such as this. The two simply groaned and continued to push Thursday.

Jennifer looked back at her comrades. A tiny giggled escaped her mouth. "Sorry you two. I guess I should've checked Thursday's wheels before we left."

Etna, being incredibly carefree today, kept on grinning. Since Thankstakings Day is Etna favorite holiday, she really couldn't be happier. "Don't mind them. They're supposed to be doing this for you. Enjoy it, cuz this day comes only once a year."

"Teehee. You're right." Jennifer looked back at Gordon. Despite everything he was carrying, he never even thought of leaving, unlike Laharl. No matter what he did, he wasn't going to give up right away. Sometimes that's what makes Gordon a great hero, and Jennifer knew it. However, her thoughts were interrupted before she could think any further.

"Hey Jennifer! You'd better turn around if you don't want to anything."

"Oh, you're right, Etna-chan." Jennifer shook it off. She then tried to search for another building or item she might want stolen. That's when another question popped into her head. "Hey, Etna-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think Laharl-chan and Flonne-chan are doing now?"

That question caused Etna to grin. The great vassal who teases and pokes the Overlord while he isn't looking replied, "I dunno, but I can't wait 'till Flonne-chan gives me all the details."

Over at a nearby restaurant, blue tiles surrounded it. On those tiles were two geo spheres. One was titled 'No Entry'; the other was called 'Invincibility'. Together, these geo panels prevented any demon from entering the restaurant. Inside the restaurant, the only customers took their orders.

"Yeah, and add extra sugar to that, all right?" Laharl told the waiter. In order for Laharl to stay uber hyper, he has to consume vast amounts of sugar, which is why he has Warheads for breakfast.

"Okay, and what would you like?" The waiter asked Flonne.

While Flonne said she was hungry, she really hadn't thought of what to eat. It was almost an excuse just to keep Laharl with her. All she could say was, "Could I have the same then?"

The waiter then placed the bill right on the table. "Okay, that'll be 500, 000 HL."

Since Laharl doesn't go out to eat too often, the waiter doesn't no how stingy he is. When Laharl heard the price for all of it, he got up and strangled the poor demon. "I have captured this restaurant!!! Why should I pay!?!"

However, Flonne simply pulled Laharl's cape and sat him back down. "Don't worry, we'll pay!!!"

"Flonne!!!!"

"Laharl-san, don't be so stingy!!!!"

Laharl groaned, and paid his bill. He later reminded himself that Flonne owes him 500, 000 HL. When their food finally arrived, Laharl quickly grabbed the plate and gobbled his food in one gulp. He didn't have breakfast that morning, so it could be understood that Laharl was pretty hungry.

Even then, Flonne scolded him. "Laharl-san, I thought I told you not to gobble your food like that!!!"

"And I don't care what you say to me!!! I mean what are you going to do about it?"

"Love and peace…"

"What?"

Flonne blinked for a few seconds. There was something a little odd with Laharl. She tried again. "Um…let's all be friends?"

"Did you hit your head or something, Love Freak?"

She didn't know what was going on. Flonne was using Laharl's weakness against him, yet he didn't seem affected by any of them. She tried once more. "I don't understand. Let's try this one…ETERNAL LOVE!!!!"

"If you're gonna embarrass me or something, then I'm leaving!"

That's when Flonne realized what was going on. Everything she had just said was a part of Laharl's weakness, yet he didn't respond in any way towards them. This could mean only one thing. "Laharl-san, you overcame your weakness!!!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I just said several different platitudes and happy stuff, yet you didn't even cringe or run." Laharl simply stared at her for minute. When that minute was up, he slapped himself repeatedly, hoping that this was a dream. Flonne blinked a couple of times as Laharl tried to 'wake himself up'. "Laharl-san…?"

"Okay! Give me the most horrible word you can think of! Anything that has to do with love!!!"

"Well…okay…ETERNAL LOVE!!!"

"…er…ouch…wait, what's going on? How come I'm not in any sorta pain?" Laharl kept looking at himself. He couldn't have beaten his weakness just like that. Overcoming the 'sexy bodies' weakness was something so big that Laharl could've had party for it, but to overcome his 'platitude' weakness is beyond impossible.

Flonne got up from her chair and smiled at Laharl. His ill feeling toward sexy bodies and platitudes was over. "I told you Laharl-san!!! I'm so happy!!!!" Just as she was about to run to him, her leg got caught in the table, causing her to trip. This was followed by the table toppling over her, which caused some of their meal to fall on her. Her silk coat was stained. "Ow…

"That was veeerry smart, Love Freak." Laharl sarcastically said. He shook his and proceeded with helping her off the floor. Noticing the stains on Flonne, Laharl took a part of his cape wiped off some of the stains.

Flonne giggled as she felt Laharl's cloak brush against her skin. Her face turned red as Laharl's cloak began to touch more parts of her body. It just felt weird to have Laharl clean her up like that. Luckily for her, Laharl did not touch anything that would make Flonne upset. Then, Flonne smelled something a little foul. The smell was coming from parts of Laharl's body. As the stench grew worse, Flonne finally asked Laharl, "Uh…Laharl-san…when was the last time you had a bath?"

"I believe it was about seven years ago, when my mom was still alive. I don't take my own baths."

Flonne simply stared at Laharl. She gave Laharl a very disgusted look. A few seconds later, she grabbed Laharl by his cape and dragged him out of the restaurant. "C'mon, we're going to the Sea of Gehenna hot springs."

"What for?"

"To give you a bath!"

"Oh ok—WHAT!?!" After his mom's death, Laharl never wanted to take another bath, and that continued on for seven years. Seven years of not bathing can really make someone smell like crap. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Apparently, Laharl didn't care if he smelled like crap. Not the case for Flonne…

Later at the Sea of Gehenna, a blue head was submerged under water. The great user of hell pyre was now drenched all over. The blue head finally sprung out of the water and looked all over, checking to see if the coast was clear. There was no one around. Seeing this as his chance, he sprung out of the small pool and raced for his cape…only to be stopped his 'angel of death'.

"Laharl-san, you need a bath!!!"

"I DO NOT!!!! I don't need it a friggin bath!!!" Our childish Overlord kept on whining, like the child he was.

If Laharl was the child, then Flonne was the mother, firm in her decision to cleanse her brat. The type of mother that uses many methods in order to get her son to behave. "I'll tell Etna-san!" Laharl pouted and got back into the heated pool. He couldn't let Etna hear about any of this. "Don't worry, Laharl-san! It'll be over before you know!" Flonne reached to the side and pulled out her 'cleaning tools', which included very large bath scrubs, heavy-duty soap, and lice-killing acid…er…shampoo, which included 10 head n' shoulders to make sure your eyes don't hurt _too _much.

Laharl began to freak. Who wouldn't after seeing those 'powerful' toiletries? "W-what do you need those for!?!"

"Well because you stink so much, I have to go really hard on you. Besides, you want this over and done with, right?"

"Wait!!!!" It was too late for Laharl. His angel of death has taken out her weapons of destruction and pierced his very being. The razor edges of her sword (bath scrubs and brush) scratched his body, while the acid (soap and shampoo) purified his entire body. Laharl was drowning. Drowning in a sea of soap…

Few minutes later, Flonne was fixing Laharl's hair. Laharl kept on complaining that he could do it on his own, but Flonne insisted. Luckily, she was able to fix up Laharl's hair. In fact, it looked perfect. It looked like nothing happened to him…though his swirling eyes indicated that he had been 'purified'. When she was finished, she got out of the tub and grabbed one of the towels. "I'm going to wash up on the other side, Laharl-san! Remember, no peeking!"

"Why would I wanna peek at a flat-chested ditz like you?" His remark only got him a bruise on the forehead. When Flonne had finally left his tub area, Laharl sighed, looking up into the sky. "Geez…what's her problem?" _Well, at least this is better than staying with Etna…I don't get it. Why is Flonne always like this? She's such a pain! …or at least I think she is. Wait, what am I saying? She's a total ditz!!! Why do I even care about her so much!?! It makes me wonder why I said she was cute!!! What was I thinking? _The more he thought about her, the more he began questioning his feelings. Ever since Flonne tried to assassinate his old man, he always thought of her as nothing but a pain. Now…Laharl didn't even know. He didn't know what caused him to change so much. Maybe he was more worried about her ever since her 'death' at Celestia, but there seemed to be something more than that. _Could it be…that I…? _Suddenly, a shriek rang out, causing Laharl to be on alert. He recognized the scream. _Damn it!!! What's going on now!?! _

Laharl ran out of the tub and into Flonne's area. When he got there, a demon was laid right at his feet. He looked up, and found Flonne with a disgusted look on her face. "Heh. I didn't think a tiny angel like you could punch this pervert so far."

"Yeah I—Uh…Laharl-san…" Her face was now glowing red. Seeing Laharl in front of her, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed…and angry. That's when Flonne's bright and happy red eyes, soon turned into a demonic glare. That glare was directed towards Laharl.

"What's with the glare?"

Later at the Redemption Icecaps…

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?!" Laharl's face was now totally bruised. Red hand marks were all over his cheeks.

"I thought I told you not to peek, Laharl-san!!!" Flonne pouted with her head turned away from Laharl.

"That wasn't my fault!!! I was trying to protect you from some pervert!!! Besides, why would I go and do something like that!?! Even an ironing board has more rise than you do!!!!"

Flonne's couldn't stand it anymore. The beautiful day she envisioned was nothing but a dream. Furthermore, Laharl's behavior toward Flonne was more hostile than ever. Flonne bowed her head, feeling rejected by the one demon she wanted to be with. Even if she was with Laharl, she couldn't help but feel lonely. With nothing left to do, Flonne ran from Laharl as fast as she could. Her feet pounded the ground, synchronized with her beating heart. The pain she was suffering now was more than anyone could imagine. _Laharl-san…you're the worst…_

Laharl tried to chase after her, but she was already too far ahead of him. It was too much for him. To him, it was the worst Thankstakings day ever. With Flonne gone, he had his chance to leave and return to the castle. He would think up an excuse for Etna not to show the pictures when he returned. However, he couldn't take another step. In his mind was a big fork in his path. He could either return to the castle or chase after Flonne. His former choice was what he wanted from the beginning, but it wasn't fulfilled thanks to Flonne's threats. It seemed like the right choice, but then again, he couldn't return without Flonne. Furthermore… _Oh forget it! I don't care what happens to that Love Freak!!! I'm going home!!!! _Just as he was heading towards the castle, images began to flood his mind. All of them were bitter memories of the past that Laharl would rather forget, but each time he took step, the memories became more vivid, and they seemed real. _Stop it!!!! I don't wanna see them anymore!!!! Why does it keep burning in my head!?! Wait…burning…? _As Laharl checked his cape, he realized that he was carrying something. He shuffled though the newly cleaned cloak until he felt a chain. He hasn't placed anything in his cape recently, so Laharl couldn't help but wonder what it was. When pulled the entire chain out, he quickly realized what he had in his hands. _Flonne's pendant…the one she gave me before…_The memories continued to flood his mind, memories that have haunted him all his life.

_"I'm sorry, my son, but I can't let you die. Please, Laharl, become a magnificent Overlord. Become even greater than your father… "_

_"MOM!!!!!!!" She…she sacrificed herself. When she died, the disease was gone, but it had already eaten away everything she taught me. I wanted to be the one to protect her…but she protected me in exchange for her life…is this…what love truly means? Then…I…I… "I HATE LOVE!!!!!!"_

_"Sayonara Laharl-san…please…become a great Overlord…"_

_"FLONNE!!!!" It happened again…why…why does love always take away…_

_"Overlord Laharl, do you despise me?"_

_"…despise you? Of I do you bastard!!!" I never cared about her life, but Flonne didn't deserve to die. All she ever did was stop Vulcanus from dominating the universe. Was this really the love she was fighting for? Seraph, you bastard, you'll pay for all this. I… "…kill…kill…I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!" _

Flonne couldn't run any further. She had tired herself out from running away, but she couldn't help it. Laharl, no matter what she did, kept pushing her away. Even after her 'rebirth' and everything they've been through, his feelings towards her haven't changed. _No matter what I do…Laharl-san will never change…he has no love in his heart…but…why is he always so selfish? …was it wrong for me…to think that he would l—?_

"Hey, my lil devil." Flonne recognized that voice. When she turned around, she realized that the person behind her was the pervert from earlier. However, he wasn't alone. He brought along a couple of friends, along with the bump that Flonne gave him. "Would you like to kiss my booboo?"

"Did I really hit you that hard, Eechi-san?"

"OF COURSE YOU DID!!!!"

Flonne bowed and apologize to the pervert. She, being the helpful person she is, didn't know what she was really getting into. "Oh…then please, lemme take you to the Hell Hospital and…" Just as she was about to leave, the demon grabbed her arm. She tried to shake him off, but his grip was strong. Flonne, hoping that this wasn't going to be what she thought it was, tried to drag him across the ice caps. "Okay, if you can't walk, then I'll gladly drag you over to the Hospital." Unfortunately, Flonne was right. The rest of the demon's friends had surrounded her.

"We are a very powerful demon gang, lil girl, and we always look out for our kind. Our motto is 'if you mess with one, you mess with all'"

Flonne, being the Love Freak she is, brushed a tear off her eye. That motto was a symbol of friendship, even if those guys were complete perverts. "You all look after one another! You guys must be great friends!"

The demon gang just stared oddly at her for almost a minute. "Is she stupid or something…?"

The pervert, however, was only amused. In fact, he was almost turned on. "Don't worry about how smart she is. You know what they say 'the cute ditz is the easiest to control'. Now get her!!!" His gang followed his orders and soon began their hunt. What the gang didn't know is that she knew how to fight, and those who know Flonne know how powerful her attacks are.

If I can just clear out some of these demons, I can get out of here. Better try that new trick that Lah--… Flonne simply cast aside her thoughts and pulled out her staff. For now, she didn't want to even think about him. "Holy Lance!!!!" Flonne took her staff and dug the shaft into the ground. Her energy, which was already charged into the staff, traveled into the ground. When she released its power, her Holy Arrows suddenly shot out of the ground and into the sky, creating a protective, yet devastating energy cage that injured many of her attackers. It worked! Shooting my Holy Arrows into the ground created surrounding energy pillars and blew back the gang. I'm glad Laharl-san showed me how to use Blazing Knuckles. Oh no…I'm thinking about him again…they're all down, now's my chance!! Flonne took the opportunity to run away. She tried her best to escape her pursuers. Then, she felt something hit her foot. Something like a rock. Whatever it was, it caused her stumble and stagger until she finally fell to the ground. Luckily, the gang hasn't really caught up, so she tried to get up, but… Ow…oh no, I sprained my leg!! There was no way she could run any further. Even if she tried to move, she'd have to pretty much wobble her way out, which wouldn't work against an entire gang of demons chasing her at full speed. There was no way out of it. I…I can't move…

Even if she could, the gang was already there. It was all over for her. "Now dearie, be a good girl and sit still. It will only be a few minutes!!" Just as they were about to grab her, a few screams from the pervert's gang rang through the air. "Quiet you fools!!! I'm busy her—WHAT THE—!!!" When he turned around, his entire gang was on the ground, covered in burn marks. What was left was a blue haired demon stand on top of the corpses.

"Laharl-san…"

"Who are you supposed to be?" demanded the master pervert. Laharl didn't answer him. He just slowly approached the leader. "Humph! Fine, then don't introduce yourself. I'll just introduce you to my fist!!!" The pervert charged at Laharl…only to be back fisted by him. In addition to his bruises from Flonne, his jaw was broken, thanks to Laharl, broken and burned.

Flonne had witnessed the entire thing. Just like before with Etna's training (see episode 2), Laharl came just in time to save Flonne. However, Flonne couldn't bear to face him. She kept her head down, letting her hair cover her face. "Laharl-san…why are you here…? Why didn't you go back to the castle like you said?"

"I know you're complete Love Freak, but have you really lost your marbles today?" Laharl approached her slowly, kneeling down so that he could focus his attention on her. All he wanted was for her to listen to what he had to say. "Look, sorry about earlier with the 'ironing board' thing. I probably shouldn't have said that…but did you have to get yourself into all this trouble?"

"You were the one who started it…" Flonne muttered. "The reason why I got mad was…"

"YOU IDIOT!!! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU!!! I ONLY RAN IN THERE TO PROTECT YOU!!!!" Flonne's eyes shot wide open. A small gasp escaped her mouth. To protect me…? She didn't know what to do. It was all too confusing for her. What made this even harder was the fact that Laharl was holding her ankle, trying to see where she sprained it. Laharl continued as he kept running his hands through her bare legs, which occasionally made Flonne moan. "I didn't know you beat up that pervert, so I ran in there to get him. Of course, what you saw was probably different. I wouldn't be surprised that you hit me…but then you kept ignoring me…and even tried to run away. It was almost as if you expected me to do something. I know its Thankstakings day, but seriously Flonne…don't you think you're being a little selfish?"

"Selfish…?" It didn't take long for Flonne to find out what Laharl was talking about. All this day, she had been pushing Laharl into going out with her. In fact, she had pushing Laharl the entire time, from the time they left Etna to even now. However, it wasn't intentional. Every time she forced Laharl to do something, subconsciously without knowing, she was trying to get Laharl to finally tell her what she wanted: his true feelings for her. All this day, she had been wondering about what he would think of her, but her curiosity only seemed to make Laharl drift farther from her. In other words, everything had been caused by her. Even if his comments were rude and painful, she had pushed him to say them. The realization of her fault made her curse herself over and over. The one who could be ordained 'love preacher' had not only known turn Laharl into slave, she had become too selfish to realize her own faults and blamed everything on Laharl. What's even more striking was that Laharl was the one who had to remind her about something that she knew too well. "You could've left me…why did you come back…?" That's when a small pain shot up her leg, coming from the ankle Laharl was holding. She closed her eyes, trying to bear the pain.

"Try not to say anything for awhile? It doesn't look too bad anyway. Just a sprain. We'll have to find something to wrap it." Seeing that he has no other option, Laharl took one end of his cape and ripped a small part of it off. The small cloth he obtained was then used on Flonne's ankle. He gently wrapped it around her soft legs, which made Flonne blush so deeply. She hadn't seen Laharl so…mature and caring. "Look, if you're gonna apologize, don't. Being selfish is a part of Thankstakings day; I just didn't like how you kept turning me away. I guess I should be more grateful. After all, you saved me from having to be Etna's slave of the day…still did you have to destroy my chances of setting the record of 'most years without taking a bath'?"

Flonne couldn't help but laugh. It seems that his attempt to break universal records was the only reason for deterring away from personal hygiene. "I didn't think you were into those things."

"Heh. Well it's getting late. We'd better going…oh wait…your leg is sprained. I guess I have no other choice." Laharl knelt down to Flonne again. She didn't know what he exactly meant, but at least she knew that he was going to leave her. Then a shriek escaped her mouth as Laharl took her into his arms and lifted her off the ground. He staggered a bit as he got up, since Flonne was a little taller than he was, but he eventually got his footing and was able to actually carry her.

Flonne's blush became an even deeper shade of red. To have Laharl carry her like this was just a little embarrassing. "Laharl-san, this is pretty embarrassing."

"Yeah, well it's your fault for running so far. It doesn't matter; the dimensional portal is close by. We'll be there in no time." That being said, Laharl finally began to move with Flonne in his arms.

As Laharl continued onward, Flonne's mind kept drifting. Her heart was still pounding, but this time out of her feelings for Laharl. _No…I have to apologize to you, Laharl-san. If I hadn't been so selfish and demanding, I may have actually listened to you. Instead, I was too stubborn and ended up pushing you further away. I know how much you hated this day…but I have no regrets. While I have made a terrible mistake, you have taught me a valuable yet obvious lesson. And then… _Flonne simply giggled to herself in her mind. The thought of being taken care of by Laharl, especially to have him carry her, was unheard of. She just felt so comfortable in his arms. _Even after all this, you still care for me. You must've tired yourself out just to find me, and even then you're still carrying me to the dimensional portal. This is all I need for now…all I need is to know whether or not you care for me…it's still too early for him to tell me everything. I'll continue to wait until that very day when he finally tells me what he truly feels...for now…I want you to know that I lo—ow! _Before she could finish, Laharl playfully punched her head. While punching someone's head is not exactly playful, it was still something that Laharl found pretty amusing. Flonne groaned as she rubbed her head a bit. "Ow…why did you do that?"

"That was for everything you did today!" Laharl playfully replied.

"Then you should've let me apologize…"

"Whoops…I forgot about that…"

"You did not, Laharl-san!!! You did that on purpose!!!"

"Calm down! It was just a joke!"

"Laharl-sa—oh, so it's pretty!" Flonne's eyes began to sparkle. Something obviously caught her attention.

"What is it?" When Laharl decided to what it was, he let out a small sigh. "Oh…that…" It was then that Laharl realized that Redemption Icecaps was one of the best places to catch a glimpse of the Red Moon, the symbol of forgiveness. It luminous light, at certain times, marks the purging of a Prinny, a sinner, and raises the soul which eventually leads to reincarnation. Laharl, earlier, disliked the red moon because his eyes resembled it, which often leads to teasing, but now…

"Laharl-san, is there something wrong?"

"It's nothing. Let's go." Laharl once again moved towards the supposed dimensional portal with Flonne in his arms. As he continued on, the image of the red moon kept reappearing in his head…followed by a white flower… _Now I remember. I remember why I can never let her go. I don't want anyone to be forced to go through so much pain because of me. When my mother killed herself to protect me from my illness, I couldn't help but feel hatred towards love. For her to sacrifice everything my sake, only replaced my disease with a guilt that continued on for almost eternity. Then, when Flonne received her punishment and tried to protect us from the Seraph, I lost control and tried to take it out on him. I can't stand and watch someone close to me get hurt because of me. That is why I can't let her go. This time I want to be the one to protect her. I don't care about what she feels; I don't want her to burden herself anymore…after all… _"…you're cuter when you smile…" _…uh oh…_

"Laharl-san…"

"Forget what I said! Let's keep moving."

"Hai!"

During the entire walk, Laharl glanced back at Flonne. She was already fast asleep on her shoulder. After all that has happened, of course she'd be tired. Laharl couldn't help but smile. _I want to be able to protect her and her smile…_

A few minutes later…

"_Akai tsuki, akai tsuki…_"

"Now that song is really annoying, Love Freak."

"But I like it!!" Just as they were about to argue, a panicked voice rang out through the night.

"PRINCE!!! FLONNE-CHAN!!!!"

Flonne recognized the voice right away. "It's Etna-san!!!"

Laharl began to cringe and panic. A scene with Laharl carrying Flonne was the last thing Laharl wanted Etna to see. "Damn, I'd better put you down before she thinks—"

"Wait, Laharl-san. It seems like Etna-san is worried about something."

"There you are!!!" Etna finally caught up to the two, heaving and panting, which was odd. Etna wouldn't tire herself to search all over for them, unless it was urgent. Something was definitely wrong. "I'm glad I found you."

"Is there something wrong, Etna?" Flonne asked her.

Etna looked up at them, with a worried on her face. Now when Etna has that kind of face, you know that something really bad happened. "Prince, you have to get to back to the castle right away!"

"Why? What happened?"

Now that same face had a grim expression on her face. It really was bad. "You have to see it for yourself."

When they all got back, Laharl and Flonne were in complete shock: Everywhere from the lobby to the front of the throne room was covered with bodies. Bodies that belonged to Laharl's vassals. Everyone, including Krichevskoy's five greatest vassals lay on the ground, passed out. Some had a severe burn marks; others had a couple of bruises.

The silence was finally broken when Flonne worriedly asked, "Are they all--?"

Laharl checked a couple of his downed vassals. He sighed as he noticed a few signs of life on them. When he turned back to Flonne and Etna, he gave them a nod to confirm their conditions. "They're not dead, but they're badly injured. Etna, get Esmeralda and the rest of squad at the Hell Hospital right away!"

"Okay Prince!" As Etna headed for the hospital, she looked back at Laharl. The serious face turned into a calm smile. She obviously noticed that Laharl was holding Flonne, but instead of teasing them, she said, "Thank you for taking care of Flonne-chan today." With that, Etna left them for the Hell Hospital.

"Was she trying to tease me…?"

Flonne shook her head and smiled. "No, it was more of a compliment."

"Heh. I can never tell with that girl." As Laharl checked on more of his vassals, he could hear a fading voice coming from Zommie. Laharl walked up to his injured body. He knew that Zommie had the answer to whatever happened, so he tried asking him. "Hey Zommie, what the hell happened here? Did an intruder come in or something?"

Zommie just kept flinching. Zommie and the rest of Krichevskoy's top vassals were incredibly strong, strong enough to defeat some of the Alternate Netherworld demons that crossed over. If someone beat them like this, then that someone must've been as powerful as someone like Seraph Lamington or Overlord Krichevskoy. As Zommie began to lose consciousness, he uttered the name of the invader. "Damn you…you damn dark priest…Setsuna…"

"Setsuna?" The name cracked through the air like thunder. Laharl couldn't figure out what was going on or who this Setsuna was. All he wanted to know was one thing. "Is he really that powerful…?"

"He is…unfortunately…" Both Laharl and Flonne turned to the only other demon standing. It was Steilhang. He was clutching his arm, which was bleeding. Everything else was bruised, but he seemed in pretty bad shape. In fact, his condition was a little worse than some of the other vassals, but he was still standing. Then again, the leader of Laharl's vassals should be the last one standing in the end. "It is hard for me to explain how he can cause so much damage, but please let me inform you of what happened, Laharl-sama."

"Yes, please tell me everything that transpired here."

**

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****Next episode:**

Etna: Attention all demons, the Netherworld has been taken over by the Overlord. Our way of life is no more.

Priere: What the hell are you talking about?

Etna: The Overlord's greatest ally, agent Love Freak, has infected the demons with her love lessons, causing them into turn copies of her!!!

Priere: Ooookay…

Etna: Fear not, demons!!! For I am the one who'll bring order back to the Netherworld!!! I am the sexy one!!!

Priere: Sexy? I don't think so, flat-chest!

Etna: SHUT UP!!! I mean… **Next time on Enter the Makai: Opposites Attract!!! **All right Agent Love Freak, bring it on! Whoa!

Priere: I'm sooo outta here…

* * *

Cliffhanger!!! Yeah, it was a really weird chapter with a lot of characters OOC, especially Flonne. This chapter wasn't always like this. Originally, I was aiming for a normal, sweet, yet incredibly humorous date. Something like them going to the carnival and screwing stuff up. In fact, one of my original ideas was to have them go into the carnival and do that dunk tank thing with the annoying guy in it. When he starts insulting Laharl, Laharl gets so pissed that he torches him, which leads to him and Flonne sneaking away. What caused this chapter to be so different was because of how Thankstakings Day worked, and I thought 'why would they be trying to win prizes when everyone was stealing them already?' Plus, I was already working on my Hamtaro fic 'Aishiteru' (Yes, people, take this time to laugh at me), and working on the two caused a bit of confusion, so in the end I chose this storyline. The reason for the hot springs was that 'On Love' scene (You can take a look at it the Yahoo groups 'hourofdarkness' or 'netherworldgallery'). Those groups, btw, have all the scans from the novels, which were done by me, so you may wanna take a look at them. As I have said, this was supposed to be the calm before the real storm. Now that you all know the name of the black hooded man, it is time to see what he can do. Can Laharl defeat this Setsuna? Tune in next time. 


	8. Messiah of Light and Darkness

**Author's notes: **I hope you guys liked that 'not as sweet chapter'. Damn, not much reviews lately. I mean only Kizzi-chan reviewed (which is all right. At least I know she didn't stop writing or anything) but what happened to Bella and the rest of my reviewers? Oh well, it's all right. I should at least be happy that I have 30 reviews, not to mention that I'm actually writing this fic. The funny thing is that Hamtaro fic, which hasn't gotten reviews in awhile, is starting to get more reviews. Then again, that really angsty chapter did cause a spark, but whatever. I'm not here to talk about Hamtaro anyway. I'm here to talk about Disgaea and whether you guys review or not doesn't matter (actually I like reviews so please try to review more often, but if you don't that's okay)

Now that I've finally given a proper introduction to my dark priest character, it is time to see what he can really do. Let's see whether or not Laharl can stand up to Setsuna. The question is, though, what is Setsuna really out to gain?

**Disclaimer: **You guys do know that I don't own Disgaea; so let me try to claim a couple of things. I do own Setsuna the Dark Priest (Some of you may think of Sailor Moon when you hear his name. There is no way in hell that I'd get anything from Sailor Moon…well except that spoof from chapter 3, but that was making fun of Sailor Moon. No, the name Setsuna I got from the kendo girl from Mahou Sensei Negima and the crazy evil dude from Last Blade. I chose this name cuz it sounds cool. I couldn't think of any other Japanese name that relates to him.) The other characters that I own in this fic are Katy the angelic messenger, Yuki, Chiroko, and Kuroyami.

**

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****Episode 8: Messiah of Light and Darkness (part 1)**

"Thank you for the wonderful day, Steilhang-san!" Sarah thanked her warrior partner. After a long day of stealing, fighting, and total chaos, Laharl's vassals were ready to sit down and finally rest. Laharl, Flonne, Etna, Aramis, and the Defenders were still out there in that circle of destruction.

Steilhang, trying not to blush, tried to act in a calm, collected manner. "Oh, it's nothing Sarah…"

"Humph! At least Steilhang listens to you." Hazuki pouted. "Naruto always tries to run away!"

"That's cuz you always want me to steal so much!!!!" Naruto snapped back.

"Well you were part of those search-and-destroy missions with Hiroshi, so you would be just as good as he is when it comes to stealing!!"

"You know, I hope Flonne-chan had a good time with Laharl-sama today." Trinity said.

"Don't worry about them." Motoko reassured her in her usually calm tone. "I'm sure they're fine."

"Ah, so the Ovelord is out today?"

"Yes, didn't you know? …wait a minute…" All of the vassals in the room noticed a very unfamiliar voice. They turned around and in front of the dimensional gate was a dark hooded character with a long staff with a cross on top. He had three awkward charms on him. "Who are you and how did you get here!?!"

The dark hooded man bowed to them and apologized. When he came up, some of his face was shown. He had jet-black hair that went to mid-neck and incredibly happy blue eyes. "I'm sorry that I came in without asking. My name is Setsuna and I'm looking for the Overlord of the Netherworld. As for how I got in, I found a dimensional portal over in Joutenheim, so I went through there and here I am."

Something wasn't right about the story. Setsuna said that he came in from Joutenheim, but there was a problem with that and Julietta, Laharl's female cleric and the guard of the dimensional portal knew it. "That's a little hard to believe, because the dimension portal in Joutenheim was diminishing. The only way for you to use it to get here, is to have someone open it for you."

Setsuna just continued to put on his happy expression, and replied, "Well I kind of opened it myself. Please, I just need to see the Overlord. It's urgent."

The vassals huddled up and discussed the situation. It was a little awkward for someone to just barge in there like that.

_"So what do we do?" _Sirius asked everyone.

_"I'm a little wary about him. I sense something very odd." _Kakashi said.

_"I agree." _Said Motoko. _"He's giving off very little energy, but it seems like he's suppressing it. He's trying to hide something. Plus, you have to have a decent amount of power to even open up a dimensional portal like that."_

_"But he seems like a nice a guy." _Hazuki said.

_"You can never be too sure, Hazuki." _Hiroshi told her. _"Naruto and I have seen a lot of demons like him. He could be trying to fool us."_

_"Yeah. Who knows what kind of tricks he has in that cape of his." _Naruto added.

_"But you know Laharl-kun." _Sarah said. _"If he misses something while he's around, he'll get mad and start yelling at us for not keeping him around."_

_"That's true." _Replied Ravens. _"We can't have Laharl cussing at us for this."_

_"Still, we should keep a close eye on him." _Said Pailong. _"Let us at least keep him in the lobby and watch him until Laharl returns." _

_"I have to agree with Pailong." _Steilhang said. _"While we are unsure of this man's intentions, we don't want to throw this man away if it really is something important. For now, let us keep an eye on him. Agreed?"_

_"Agreed." _

Steilhang and turned back to Setsuna to give their reply. "I'm sorry, but we can't allow you any further in the castle without the consent of Laharl-sama. If it's possible, please wait here in the lobby for him."

Setsuna simply nodded and agreed to stay. "Yes, I'll stay here. I know that you are simply doing your job and I respect that. I have a lot free time anyway. I guess I can stay and wait."

"Thank you." Steilhang thanked him.

"No, thank you for letting me stay." Setsuna calmly replied. Just as he was about to go over and sit down somewhere, Setsuna sensed something coming at him. Whatever it was, it was going really fast. Setsuna stepped to the side and the fireball flew right by. When he turned around, Krichevskoy's five top vassals were in front of Laharl's vassals, trying to keep them away from him.

"Let us handle this everyone." Zommie warned Laharl's vassals. The vassals were a little unaware of what's going on, but since they were their superiors, they decided to stay put. Zommie approached Setsuna in a very serious manner. Setsuna, on the other hand, was calm and bright. "You have returned."

Setsuna, calm as ever, simply replied, "Ah, I see you're well Zommie, Ghoss, Manty, Gargo, and Dratti. I guess it has been awhile. Does the new Overlord treat you as well as Krichevskoy?"

Zommie didn't act the same way. He was very skeptical of him. "Stop trying to flattering us. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to see the Overlord, of course."

"And what are you going to do with him?" Ghoss asked.

Setsuna shook his head. He couldn't give a straight answer. "That, I, unfortunately, cannot tell you at this moment."

"Answer us, Setsuna!!" Gargo demanded.

"We are not joking around with you! We want our answers straight!!" Manty exclaimed.

"And if we don't get them, we will be forced to fight you." Dratti warned him as she began to growl. All of them were ready to pounce on Setsuna all at once. Obviously, they had strong hatred towards him.

Even then, Setsuna remained perfectly calm. "I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you. This is something between Laharl-kun and me. I do not wish to fight, but if I have to I must. Let me say this again: I am here to see Laharl-kun now get out of my way before someone gets injured."

"I see. Stubborn as ever." Zommie said. He then pointed his arms at Setsuna, which made a click noise. "Then we'll have to destroy you! Zombie Gatling!!!" Soon, bullets shot out towards Setsuna. Setsuna dodged the strafe, but was then met by Manty's claw. Luckily, he was able to dodge that one as well.

"Bomb Magic!!" Ghoss threw out his explosion spells and tried to catch Setsuna with it. Setsuna was able to dodge this one as well.

"Red Nova!!!" Dratti shot out her flames and tried to torch Setsuna, but once again, he dodged it.

The next one, however, he wouldn't be able to dodge. "Cannonball!!!" Gargo shot out his power pillar attack. While Setsuna could easily dodge this one, the other vassals' attacks were coming at him. He was surrounded by incredibly powerful attacks, all of which were impossible to avoid at this time, so he had no choice but to take the hit. When they all collided, the vassals had thought they had won, but Setsuna remained untouched. In fact, he didn't receive any damage. He was able to absorb the power of their attack with his priest staff.

Setsuna, already tired of this battle, turned to the vassals. He was still pretty calm about the situation. In fact, he looked happy. "Wow, I didn't think I would get out of that one. I said I didn't want to hurt you, but seeing that you won't listen, I have no choice." Setsuna shuffled through his cape and pulled out four slips of paper. Each one had weird writing on them. "Sorry, but I'm not gonna hold back on this one." The instant he was done speaking, he was on top of Dratti. He placed that piece of paper on him and moved quickly to Manty, and continued until each piece of paper was on all of them, except for Zommie. That's when Setsuna began to chant. "_I call upon the power hell pyre on thy seal. Bond onto your host and obey my command! Explosion seal!!!_" Suddenly, the same slips of paper exploded. The explosion was powerful enough to rock the castle. When the smoke cleared, all but Zommie were on the ground. Zommie, who was severely damaged by the attack, held his wound, glaring at Setsuna.

"Y-you…"

When Setsuna looked at Zommie again, he was now incredibly serious. His blue eyes were replaced with vicious amber eyes. Hoping to not hurt any more demons, he gave Zommie one more chance. "Give up."

"Never!!!!" Zommie charged at Setsuna, hoping to at least get some damage on him. However, Setsuna took out a couple of beads and wrapped them around Zommie.

Setsuna, once again, summoned the power of his charms. "_Beads of holiness bind my enemy and explode. Explosion Bind!!!_"When the chant was over, the beads began to glow. What came next defeated Zommie for good: they exploded, taking out the last of Krichevskoy's vassals. The other vassals were horrified. Those five vassals were probably the strongest out of them, yet one person defeated them all. Not only did he defeat them, but also he came out of the battle unscathed. Setsuna turned to them and said, "If you don't wanna get hurt, then you'd better stay down. Don't throw yourself like this."

"We're not gonna let you get away with this one!!!" Steilhang ordered everyone to charge at him with their greatest attacks. Each one of unleashed all their fury onto Setsuna, trying to bring him down.

Setsuna simply pulled out one more piece of paper and placed it on the ground. "Please, forgive me for doing this. _Seal of Holiness, obey the pact and summon your energy. Holy Seal Wave!!!!_"In that moment, everything became white…

**Flashback end**

"And that's what happened…" Steilhang told Laharl at the Hell Hospital. When Laharl, Flonne, and Etna arrived earlier, they found the bodies of all those defeated by Setsuna. Luckily, the Hell Hospital was nearby and they weren't dead, so all they needed was medical attention. Still, this was a really big problem and Setsuna was still out there.

"Is this Setsuna or whatever he is still here?"

"No, I saw him leave through the dimensional portal. However, he did talk to Pleinair and handed her a piece of paper. You'd better see her later."

"Yeah, and you'd better get treated." Laharl told his vassal. "I have feeling that you'll be out for awhile, so at least get some rest."

"Alright. Thank you, Laharl-sama." Steilhang then headed through the door, and into the examining room. As Steilhang left, Flonne and Etna were rushing over to Laharl.

Laharl asked them, "So how are they?"

Flonne bowed her head. "They're fine, but they won't be up for a few days."

"Esmeralda says that they can stay for awhile, just make sure to pay your fees later on." Etna told him.

"I understand." Laharl said. It was hard for him to understand this situation, especially since it occurred while he was out. Coming back to the castle to see everyone like this was a real shocker to him. There was only one way to deal with this. Laharl got up and headed for the lobby.

"Hey Prince, where are you going?"

"I'm going over to Pleinar." Laharl replied. "She might have some clues to the whereabouts of our intruder." Flonne and Etna nodded and followed after him.

Few seconds later…

"Yes, that mysterious man came up to me and told me to give this to you." Pleinar said as she handed Laharl the note. Pleinar was pretty much his head secretary, as well as Laharl's connection to the Dark Assembly. "I'll try to get the Dark Assembly to give you extra vassals if you need them."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Laharl told her. "They're my vassals so I want to keep them."

"Okay Laharl-sama. Then at least let me see if the senators will open up the battlefield."

"The battlefield?"

"Yes. It says it in the dark hooded man's letter. Please take care, Laharl-sama." After bowing to Laharl, Pleinar left through transporter cage to the Dark Assembly.

Laharl began to open the letter, but he was a little hesitant in what it was going to say, such as where a possible battle may be. Whoever Setsuna was, he was definitely a powerhouse. To be honest, Laharl was a little scared. After all, Krichevskoy's top five vassals have fallen so easily to this guy. However, Laharl was also thrilled to meet him. After months of waiting for real action, the battle against Priere finally gave him the challenge needed. Now that another powerful enemy has appeared, Laharl was so excited to fight him. Then again, he still had to worry about _certain_ demons. He couldn't let her get hurt after what he promised. When he finally opened it, he began reading the letter carefully.

_Dear Overlord Laharl,_

_I am sorry that you have to come to see your vassals like this. I was awaiting your arrival but your vassals launched an assault on me. I had no choice but to rely on my own self-defense. Now that I have your attention I want you to hear me out. I'm here for one purpose, and that is to challenge you to a duel. Seeing we can't hold it on your home turf, I have chosen the location. The location of our battle is on the back of the letter. Please meet me at noon and prepare yourself as well as any vassals you may be taking. I hope to see you there and prepared. _

_Sincerely, Setsuna, the Dark Priest_

"So it is a challenge letter." Etna said. She pulled out her spear, ready for the challenge.

"So where is it being held, Laharl-san?" Flonne asked as she examined her angelic staff.

"I'm getting to it!" Laharl turned over the letter in order to find the location of the battle. When he finally found the letter, a grim expression was on his face. He handed the letter to Etna. "You won't believe where we're doing this…"

Etna took the letter and searched for the name of the location. Flonne huddled near Etna and tried to help her look for it. "Let's see. Oh here it is. The location of the battle is…" Etna's face was now full of horror. The location of the battle was a place that many would dare not set foot on. "…ETERNAL APOCALYPSE!?! Is he crazy!?!"

"Is the Eternal Apocalypse a dangerous place?" Flonne asked them.

"I heard it used to be the battleground for the 'Great Betrayal'." Laharl said, knowing about the battleground's history. "They say it's where Kuroyami, the greatest traitor of the Netherworld, battled the angels of Celestia in order to take control of it. His reason for leading such a revolt was to weaken both the Netherworld and Celestia and take control, but the fool was defeated. How he was defeated is unknown, but they say his spirit lives on and kills off anyone who crosses it."

"Either way, it's been known for being one of the most unstable grounds of the universe." Etna added. "You never know what's going to happen. It's climate changes in seconds, and structures can rise or tumble without warning. This is very dangerous, Prince. Are we still going to accept this challenge?"

Laharl, with his hands crossed, bitterly replied, "Of course! We're charging straight in and destroying that damn Priest! He'd better be prepared, cuz no one leaves a battle with the Overlord unscathed!!! So prepare yourself, cuz this may be the last sermon you're serving, priest!!!! Hmhmhm…hmhmhmhm…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

Etna sighed, seeing that even in the face danger, Laharl still had the nerve to laugh it all off. Then again, it made Etna feel better since she knew Laharl wasn't afraid of his opponent. "Well, I don't want you screwing this one up, so I'm coming with you!"

"I'm not gonna screw this one up!!!! I'm gonna come out of this battle victorious!!! And by the way, this is a duel!!! I can't have you tag along!!!"

"But Etna-san is right!" Flonne reminded him. "This is no ordinary foe you're facing. You need teamwork on your side, which is why I'm going too!"

"But Flonne…"

"I've made up my mind, Laharl-san! Even if this is a duel, the least I could do is cheer you on."

"If Etna-san is going, then so am I." Aramis said as he entered the room. "After all, I have to keep my end of the bargain, since you saved all my zombies."

"I'm coming too!!" Gordon exclaimed with this fist high in the air. "I cannot let a priest tarnish his title like this!!!"

"So am I." Jennifer told him. "We're all here to help you."

"I may not understand the situation, but seeing that we all agree on the same idea, we have to go with you." Kurtis said.

"We are helping you. End of discussion." Thursday beeped.

Laharl sighed and headed toward his room. "Heh, suit yourself. I tried warning you, but I guess you guys are too stubborn. Well, you'd better rest up then. We've got a big day tomorrow." After warning his remaining vassals, Laharl left for his room

"Shouldn't the Overlord thank us for coming along?"

"No, I think Laharl-san was thanking us…in his own way at least."

Over at Celestia, the messenger angel, Katy, was making her way to Sacred Altar. This time when she entered, the Seraph was fully aware of her arrival and decided not to play around again. He accepted the letter from Katy and thanked her for it.

There was just one thing on his mind. "Who is it from?"

Katy shook her head, indicating that she was unaware of who it was. "I don't know, but he had a black cape and a priest staff."

"I see. Thank you, Katy." When Katy left, Lamington unfolded the message and read the letter. After reading it, Lamington chuckled a bit. _Setsuna__, you're overworking yourself. You continue your search as well as your own mission. One day, your 'curse' won't be able to keep you alive. If you need to rest, you're always welcome here, but I understand. I'll continue to keep an eye out for him. _Then Lamington noticed the last part of the letter. It read:

_P.S. There is a disturbance in the air. We must be on high alert. _

_With everything that's happening, how can I not be on my guard?_

The next morning, Flonne had woken up from the coffin. As usual, Flonne had been sleepwalking into Laharl's coffin bed and slept with him. Normally, she would go out to the balcony, but she paused for a second. She looked to her side and noticed one thing: Laharl wasn't there. This was very unusual since it was Flonne that usually left the coffin before Laharl. She quickly pushed open the lid of the coffin and tried to make sure Laharl hadn't already left for the duel. Luckily, she found Laharl, standing outside on the balcony. Flonne breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the balcony.

"Laharl-san…?"

Laharl turned his head towards the door of the balcony. Flonne was right there, with a worried look on her face. "Heh, you're awake."

"Laharl-san, why are you up so early? Don't tell me you planned on leaving the castle?"

Laharl shook his head. "No, I have no intention of doing that. I just needed some air…and some time to think."

"About what?"

Laharl remained silent for a few seconds. Those few seconds were used to gather his thoughts to tell Flonne what she needed to know. Finally, Laharl let out a sigh and began to tell her what was going through his mind. "Do you remember that time we faced the Seraph?"

"Yes. You almost killed him…because you thought he took my life."

"Yeah. You tried to sacrifice yourself for us. Not just then, but even now. You tried sacrificing yourself during the protection mission and when we battled Priere, to protect me. I know that you're always the type of person to look out for others, and that is because you love all living things, right?" Flonne happily nodded in reply. It was true. Her love for love was too great. She never had a deep hatred for anything and has tried her best to keep herself from gaining such hatred. Laharl continued. "But, sometimes it hurts us even more every time you have to run in there and take a hit for us, or try to shield us from danger. What I'm trying to say is…" Laharl paused, trying to think of the right to say it. He did not want to make it sound like something other than what he trying to say. The last thing he wanted was for Flonne to think that he loves her in any way. He took a deep breath and told her what he needed for her to hear. "…I don't want you to get hurt during this battle. That's why I didn't want you coming with me. Seeing that you'll go no matter what, I won't prevent you or anything…but please don't try anything that will put you in danger. This time…I want to be the one sacrificing myself for you." Laharl didn't know if he said it the wrong way. That last line sounded a little too weird, and if Flonne caught on, she would be thinking something totally different.

Then, Flonne came up to Laharl and hugged him. Laharl was about to squirm, thinking that he said it the wrong way, but Flonne simply smiled at him and said, "Alright, I'll try to stay away from the battle as much as possible. I want to see you fight, but if you're worried about my safety, I understand. I'll try my best not worry you." Laharl couldn't help but smile as well. At the very least, Flonne will try her best to stay away from danger, which will allow him to be more focused during his battle. Flonne just kept smiling at him. _You were so worried about me, weren't you Laharl-san? That was your concern when I almost ran away, wasn't it? All this time you've been worrying about my safety. If that is what you wish, then I won't hurt myself for your sake. I don't want you to be hurt anymore. _

Then…

"Oh Prince, don't you think it would be easier to say 'Flonne-chan, I want to protect you with all my might'?"

"Yeah, but then that would simply imply that I…" Only one person could say tease Laharl like that. Someone who would spy and tease him all the time, despite his title. Someone…who just snuck into his room. "ETNA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!"

"I decided to hide in your room, just in case you decided to leave for the duel without telling us, but it seems you and Flonne-chan are being all kissy-kissy." Etna leaped out of the shadows, landing in front of Laharl and Flonne. The ever-perky vassal clasped her hands together and smirked; enjoying the moment the two were sharing together. "Well there's no need to hide it, Prince. Why not tell Flonne-chan how you feel?"

"I feel like bashing you and that friggin dark priest!!!"

"Oh c'mon, don't be shy Prince!"

Laharl was about to snap back at her, but then, Flonne put her hand in front of Laharl, preventing him from saying another word. "How Laharl-san feels is his own business. If he has something to talk about, then he'll tell us when he feels he's ready. For now, we should be more concerned about the battle." Flonne gave a small wink to Laharl. Laharl was relieved that Flonne was able to end this argument. However, Flonne brought something else up. "Speaking of the battle, Zommie-san said Setsuna-san was a priest, right?"

"Well, he said he was a dark priest, but yeah. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Well, it's just that…only humans are priests. There really aren't any angelic or demonic priests." Flonne was right. On Earth, the strongest humans are usually given titles. Those with strong ties to Celestia or even the Netherworld are considered priests. Priests have a different type of power that makes them different from warriors and even spell casters, like mages. Because these priests have connections with Celestia and the Netherworld, priests gain certain powers from their respective connection. There was something odd about this priest.

"She's right." Etna said. "Only humans are priests, but what does that have to do with this priest?"

"Well Zommie-san said that they have met before, right? Unless, he had a demon or angel perform a pact on him, there's no way he'd live long enough to meet Krichevskoy or anyone else." Flonne was right again. The human life span isn't as long as a demon's or an angel's. The only way for a human to live a long life is to have a high-level demon or angel perform a pact on the human. That's why many witches, such as Laharl's mom, can live so long, yet, judging from what they have heard, Setsuna may not have gone through a pact.

"So what are you trying to say, Flonne-chan?"

"Think about it. Setsuna-san cannot live that long if he's a human, yet only priests can be humans. If that's true then there's only one explanation for his long life span."

"You don't mean he's—"

"That's right. He could be a cross breed." Laharl and Etna understood what Flonne was trying to say. If he's a human with a long life span, but did not have a demon or angel place a pact on him, then the only way he could live so long…is by being a cross breed.

"I get it now." Laharl said. That's when he came up with another conclusion. "If that's true, then maybe he was the one attacked Priere."

Etna shook her head. "We can't be certain of that, but now that we know he's a cross breed, we have to be a little more careful. After all, if the one that attacked Priere could control her body, then there's not telling what this dark priest could do."

"Then we'd better be on our guard." Laharl said, as he headed for the door. "Well we'd better get ready for the duel. We have to be fully prepared for whatever he has. Let's go."

Later that day, our dark priest ruffled through his clothes pulled out his three charms: the double cross, the lapis lazuli and obsidian arrowhead, and the Gemini symbol. The three began to glow, resonating with his own powers. He clutched his priest staff firmly in his hand, and began to head towards his destination. On the way there, voices began to echo in his mind.

_'So are we going now?'_

_Yeah, today's the day. For now, I have to forget about Yuki and focus my attention on Overlord Laharl. We have to go to Eternal Apocalypse._

_"Well that brings back some memories. I just hope you don't get lost this time."_

_Why do you say that? I know where I'm going. We'll be there in no time. I'm definitely not getting lost!_

A few hours later…

"DAMNIT!!!! WHERE'S THE FRIGGIN PRIEST!?!" Laharl shouted as he tried to dodge another falling boulder. It was two hours past noon, and Setsuna hasn't even shown his face. What made this even worse was that they were waiting for him in Eternal Apocalypse, one of the most unstable places in the Netherworld. Almost anything could happen here. Boulders could fall from the sky, a volcano could erupt, a blizzard could all of sudden fall, the ground might open up, souls could try to capture demons; it was hard enough just to stand on the place. "If another boulder falls on me, I'll rip that priest apart!!!!"

"You know, threatening people won't make Setsuna-san come, Laharl-san." Flonne reminded him as she jumped out of a closing pit.

"True, but why do I have to get the hot part?" Etna already had enough trying to deal with the lava. Even though her outfit was skimpy enough, she already felt so hot inside the place. Aramis was having the same trouble, especially since he was wearing something less revealing.

"Well while you're baking the heat, we're freezing cold!" Gordon whined. He and the rest of defenders were currently in the middle of a snowstorm.

Laharl couldn't stand it. After everything priest has done, he wasn't even showing up. "That priest must have tricked us so we could be weakened before he gets here!! That cheater!!!"

"Well, he acts demon-like." Etna said, noting the fact that the priest cheats. That gave her an idea. "Maybe we could give him a job as another vassal."

"Good idea! After I beat him, I'll turn him into one my vassals, get the papers, and…"

"Laharl-san now's not the time to think about that!!!" Suddenly, all the natural disasters began to diminish. Everyone was now perfectly fine, though a little confused. "What just happened?"

"What are you all doing here?" Everyone turned around. Behind them was a dark hooded figure with a priest staff. Gee…wonder who that could be?

"I could ask you the same question." Laharl said to the hooded man. "I'm looking for someone. Some dark priest dude or something like that. He said he was gonna meet me here."

"What a coincidence." Said the dark hooded character. "I was looking for some ruler. Would you help me find him?"

"We'd be happy to." Flonne cheerfully replied, always willing to help someone in need. "Maybe if we work together, we might find who we're looking for."

"Oh well, I guess if the Love Freak accepts you then I accept you." Laharl extended out his hand to the dark hooded character to introduce himself. "My name is Laharl, and I am the Overlord of the Netherworld."

The dark hooded figure smiled and took Laharl's hand as he greeted him. "My name is Setsuna, a dark priest." Now everything seemed to freeze the moment they both shook hands. They had remembered that they were out to search for someone in Eternal Apocalypse. Unfortunately, the only people who'd be here are those who were related to the battle. Furthermore, they began to remember who they were looking for. Laharl was looking for Setsuna, the dark priest, while Setsuna was looking for Laharl, the Overlord of the Netherworld. For that one moment, everyone seemed to be friends. Then time began to flow again and soon…

"IT'S YOU!!!!!" Laharl doubled back, away from Setsuna. After all this time of waiting, the same person they were looking for was shaking hands with them. Laharl felt sick just thinking of almost becoming his friend.

"Oh, so you're Overlord Laharl! Wow, I didn't think you'd be so young."

"And I didn't think you'd be so late!!! What took you so long!?!"

"Um…I got lost?" Everyone fell right on their faces. It was hard to believe that the same person who defeated everyone at the Overlord's Castle was completely dense and had a bad sense of direction.

"Is this guy really that strong?"

"I dunno, but I think he could be even more dense than Flonne-chan…"

"Hey!!!"

"So what are you all doing here? Don't you know this place is dangerous?" Setsuna asked.

"YOU TOLD US TO COME HERE!!!!!" Laharl could feel his temper rising. It seems that the great priest that defeated everyone in the castle was even denser than Flonne. He's probably not as stupid as Gordon, but you get the idea.

"I did?" Setsuna tried to remember what he wrote in the message to Laharl, trying to remember the location of the battle. After a few minutes of thinking, he finally remembered. "Oh yeah! Now I remember! The battle is in the **next part** of Eternal Apocalypse. Sorry, but this isn't the place. Come with me, and we'll battle over there."

Laharl, already fed up with Setsuna's slacking, couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to get this battle over with. "You made me wait here just to tell me that!?! I don't care where the battle is taking place anymore!!! Once I defeat you, you'll wish you didn't mess with me!!!!" Laharl charged at Setsuna with all his might. As he moved, he charged his powerful flames into his fist, and darted towards Setsuna. "Blazing Knuckles!!!!"

Just as Laharl was about to land his Blazing Knuckles, Setsuna simply glanced at him and suddenly; Laharl was caught in a pillar of holy energy. The attack caused major damage on Laharl, forcing him to double back. He glared at Setsuna. "Before attacking, you should realize that your opponent…" Setsuna reached into his cape, and pulled out the slips of paper again. "…may have set some traps."

Laharl instantly recognized the slips of papers. "So those are what you used against my vassals? The pieces of paper that somehow shoot power."

That's when Jennifer recognized what those were. "Those are…talismans."

"What are talismans?" Flonne asked.

"In certain countries, priests and priestesses use a different kind of power that allow them to send energy through charms." Jennifer explained. "The pieces of paper they use are called talismans. Talismans have different kinds of writing that allow the user to send different powers. Depending on what type of talisman you send, you get different results. These talismans seal off power, protect from harm, send out magic, summon spirits, and all sorts of other things. However, I cannot understand why this priest uses talismans. His power is beyond the need of them, so why does he use them?"

That's when Etna realized something. "Wait, if the talismans are weaker than his actual power, then that means…"

"He was going easy on Zommie and the others." Laharl began to grit his teeth. Not only did Setsuna beat Krichevskoy's vassals and his vassals altogether, he beat them at a fraction of his power. If Setsuna could beat them without even using a quarter of his power, then there's not telling what Setsuna could do at even half his power.

"You are all very knowledgeable and clever." Setsuna told them. "Not many demons realize that the talismans simply channel my power. As you have said, these talismans allow me to refrain from using my full power. It is also faster to use them summoning my powers for my attacks, and so I can do something like this!" When Setsuna threw his talismans up in the air, they began to wave and shake, floating over towards Laharl. That's when Setsuna began to chant. "_I summon the rolling thunder. Obey thy pact and blast my opponent! Sparkling Thunder Ball!!!_"Suddenly, the same pieces of paper transformed themselves into a thunder ball, which shot out lightning at Laharl. He dodged it, but the thunder ball didn't leave. It just kept shooting it's lightning at everyone except Setsuna.

"How cheap! Letting something else do the work for you!!" Laharl began summoning his powers again, this time not into his fist, but into the ground. "Now let's see you and your little toy handle this!!! Overlord's Wrath!!!!!" The energy he charged had appeared in the air, in the form of vicious fireballs. At his command, his fire shot towards Setsuna, destroying the lightning ball along the way. "Ha! Let's see your paper take this!!!"

However, Setsuna didn't look fazed at all. He took out yet another talisman in his cape, and hurled it at the incoming fireballs. Rather than charring it up, the fireballs were reflected toward Laharl. Laharl was shocked. "Krichevskoy had the same attack, but at least it was able to destroy my barrier talismans. You need some more training." When the fireballs were reflected, they shot back toward Laharl at an even faster rate, leaving Laharl no time to react.

Luckily for him, a barrier appeared before him and shielded him from the attack. Flonne heaved a sigh of relief. "That was close. Are you alright, Laharl-san?"

Laharl gritted his teeth. "Yeah, but I didn't think he could defeat my Overlord's Wrath!"

"Then we'll just have to attack all at once." Etna said.

Laharl didn't have a choice. It was either be defeated or defeat him in numbers. "Fine. Let's charge him with our strongest attacks!!!" Soon, Laharl, Flonne, Etna, and everyone else tried to combine their attacks together to defeat him. However, before they could do so, everyone except Laharl and Flonne was frozen in a green energy. Their movements had been restrained by unknown force. "Why are you just standing there!?!"

"I told you before we began the battle." Setsuna said. "You'd better watch where I place any of my traps. Right now, my silence talismans have sealed your friends' movements. Just like with all my talismans, they are temporary, but they are long enough to keep them from attacking. I'm just making it a fair duel."

With everyone frozen in place, Laharl's only bet was to fight him together with Flonne. Luckily, they were still a good team, and they have practiced their teamwork a little more. "Well, I guess it's you and me, Love Freak."

"Yeah, let's show him what the power of love can do!!!"

"Stop bringing love into the battle!!!!" After arguing with Flonne for a bit, Laharl's body started to blaze with fury. While his powers charged, Flonne placed her hand on Laharl's shoulder, charging her energy into him. When the power reached it's fullest, Flonne held out her palm open, charging more energy. When everything came together, "Fallen Overlord combo: Hellpyre Arrow!!!" her Holy Arrows shot into Laharl, which propelled him towards Setsuna. The faster his speed, the bigger the flames got, and the more powerful the propelled Laharl was. It was so fast that Setsuna couldn't dodge. All he has were his barrier talismans, which he used to protect himself, but the attack, was too great for them to handle. Laharl was able to burst through the talismans and for the first time, made contact with Setsuna.

Setsuna staggered, a first for him during this battle. However, he recomposed himself and stood upright. It didn't seem like it affected him that much. "Wow, to think that you two had such power…"

"How did that not affect you!?!"

"Oh don't worry, it definitely hit and caused some damage," Setsuna told him. "But it's not powerful enough to take me down in one hit. You two make a great team."

Flonne's eyes began to flare with determination, a sign that she could see a possible victory. "Yeah, and with love and teamwork on our side, nothing can stand in our way!!!"

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING LOVE INTO THIS!!!!"

"Well, it's obvious that the two of you together can create a powerful force." Setsuna searched through his cape again, until he pulled out what he needed. "Looks like I'll have to change that." In his hands were some beads. The beads emitted some type of power.

"What are those supposed to be? Are they some kind of necklace?"

"These beads are charms, similar to my talismans." Setsuna explained to them. "The difference between them is that my beads are better at binding my opponent. Once the beads make contact, they can do all sorts of things. They are what I need to defeat you, Overlord Laharl. Prepare yourself!!!" Setsuna hurled the beads at Laharl. While they were still in mid-air, Setsuna started to chant once again. "_Holy beads bind my opponent and send him to a place that cannot be seen or entered. Make contact with my opponent and make him invisible to the world. Binding Vanish Seal!!!_" The floating beads soon gave off a very ominous green glow as the rushed towards Laharl.

While it was unknown what the beads could do, Laharl knew one thing: Setsuna wouldn't be throwing the beads if it didn't have any power in them. Whatever attack he was using, it was going to hit Laharl hard. Luckily, he was able to dodge the floating beads, barely."Ha! Is that the best you can do?" However, the beads didn't stop. In fact, once it started floating again, it flew itself at Laharl at an even faster rate. This time there was no way for Laharl to dodge it. _Damn, it's not letting up! I hope I can survive this one! _Laharl pulled out his sword, preparing himself for the worst. Suddenly, a flash of white illuminated the field. For the moment, Laharl couldn't see a thing. When the light died down, he saw white clothes wrapped in the green beads. That's when it occurred to him that he was saved by a sacrifice. "F-flonne…"

Flonne struggled with the beads, but they had latched on so tightly that it almost seemed to be crushing her. She looked back at Laharl with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry, Laharl-san, but I can't let you get hurt from this attack!"

Laharl stared at her for a minute with angry eyes. Suddenly he shouted at her, "You Love Freak, why the hell did you take the attack for me!?! You promised me you wouldn't sacrifice yourself again!!!!"

The beads tightened their grip on Flonne again. She shrieked from the pain, but tried to smile at Laharl. "I know that Laharl-san, but I can't let you die or get hurt. If I couldn't prevent you from this pain, I wouldn't know what I'd do with myself. I'm sorry…" Suddenly, the glow began so illuminant to the point of blinding. The entire field was now covered in nothing but a green aura, with no chance in letting up. When the glow waned, the beads were no longer there…and neither was Flonne. She had disappeared with the beads.

Laharl just stared at where Flonne was standing. In attempt to save him, Flonne once again took whatever was coming at him. She had become his shield. However, like in Celestia, she had sacrificed her life for it. Laharl remained completely silent, remembering everything that they have been through. The absence of the fallen angel was hard for Laharl to bear. Everyone could feel his sorrow. Soon, however, that sorrow turned into anger that radiated in a violent energy. He glared at Setsuna, the one responsible for taking her away. Soon, his entire body charged into a vicious flame that wouldn't be put out until it was satisfied. As he rushed towards Setsuna, he shouted at Setsuna, "YOU BASTARD!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!"

Setsuna tried to guard it, but the force of Laharl's attack had grown. One slash of his sword blew Setsuna a couple of feet. Despite this, Setsuna remained perfectly calm. _I heard about this from him. This is what happens when Laharl-kun becomes loses control. I remember he told me about how Flonne-chan 'died'. Laharl-kun almost killed him. I see, his powers, subconsciously, come from his desire to protect his friends, especially Flonne-chan. However, her 'death' caused him to go berserk. If he wants to defeat me…he'll have to let go of this anger of his. _When Laharl attacked again, Setsuna simply grabbed Laharl's wrist and, while placing another talisman on Laharl, tossed him. In mid air, the talisman exploded, but Laharl didn't seem to be fazed at all. "Laharl-kun, do you really think trying to kill me will get her back?"

"SHUT UP!!! I WON'T STOP UNTIL I GET AVENGE HER!!!! BLAZING KNUCKLES!!!!!" Laharl wouldn't listen. All he could think of was destroying his nearby opponent, and those thoughts charge his fist with even greater energy.

"Heh…you sure killing me will really avenge her?" Just as Laharl's Blazing Knuckles was about to hit, Setsuna grabbed Laharl's fist. Laharl was shocked. Even with increased power and rage of his Blazing Knuckles, Setsuna wasn't affected and simply caught it. _How did he…?_ "Besides, do you really think this headlong clumsy style of yours can defeat me? You're only acting like a whinny brat who lost his marbles." Setsuna punched Laharl with a powerful electric punch that sent him flying. This was his first non-talisman attack, yet it really did a number on Laharl. Laharl clutched his chest, breathing heavily as he glared at Setsuna. Setsuna glared at Laharl with his dreadful amber eyes. "Even if your rage has increased your power, it has clouded your mind, making it easy for me to counter. Laharl-kun, do you really want to see Flonne-chan again?"

"Of course I do!!! Why do you think I'm still fighting!?!" Laharl shouted as he got up. His rage was still on.

"Well, what good will fighting do if you can hardly hit me. If you want to fight me, then meet on the other side of Eternal Apocalypse, and be ready, for when the time comes for me to fight again, I may not use my talismans. If you win, Flonne-chan will return to you." Setsuna started to chant and soon a dimensional portal appeared. Setsuna walked towards the portal.

Laharl felt that he wasn't finished. "Get back here!!!! Why are you running from me!?! What do you mean Flonne will return!?! You killed her!"

As Setsuna left, he glaned back at Laharl and decided to tell him the truth. "I'll give you this much: Flonne-chan is not dead, just not here in the Netherworld." Laharl was utterly shocked. Like before, Flonne temporarily gone from the world. However, if he wanted her back, he would have to defeat him. "Laharl-kun, if you want her back, please go to the other side of Eternal Apocalypse. I hope to see you there, Overlord." With that said, Setsuna left through portal.

By the time Setsuna left, Laharl's rage has diminished to mid level. He felt better knowing that Flonne was still alive, but getting her back was going to be difficult. Even in total rage, Laharl had no chance against Setsuna. If he was going to fight him alone, he knew he had to think of something and fast. _This time I won't lose. I'll get her back. I also made a promise to sacrifice everything I've got for her. She may have broken her promise, but I won't break mine. I won't be satisfied until I get her back. _Then…

"Prince!!!" Laharl turned around. Etna was racing towards him. When she had finally reached him, she her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breathe. "Prince, are you all right? Where's Flonne-chan?"

"She's gone…"

Etna gasped. She didn't want to believe what Laharl said, but there was no denying it. "Is she…?"

"If you're wondering, she's alive." Laharl reassured her. That made Etna breath a sigh of relief, knowing that Flonne wasn't dead yet. "However, Flonne has been captured by Setsuna. He told me that if I ever wanna see her again, I'll have to fight him. This time, he won't be holding back."

Etna couldn't help but feel a little worried. Seeing all the destruction Setsuna has caused with just slips of paper, without even using much of his power, made her feel uneasy, especially since Laharl will be fighting alone. It made her question whether or not she should let Laharl continue on. "Prince, will you be accepting his duel?"

Laharl nodded, firm in his decision. "There's no way I'm going back to castle without Flonne. I'll keep fighting until I get her back. I promised that I'd do all I can to protect her, and that's what I'll do." Just as Laharl headed farther into the Eternal Apocalypse, Etna spoke.

"Laharl-sama…do you really love her?"

Laharl froze in his tracks. First of all, Etna called him 'Laharl-sama', which made Laharl feel almost scared. In the past, Etna has called him nothing but 'Prince', but this time she called him, not only his real name, but used his name in formality. Then there was the actual question. It was true his feelings for her were strong, but did he really love her? Plus, this time, it felt like Etna wanted a real answer. She wouldn't use Laharl's name like that if she were teasing him again. Laharl didn't have any clear-cut answer. All he could say was, "I…don't know. I do have feelings for her…but is that really considered love? Because I'm a demon, I wouldn't know if I really do love her beyond being friends…but I do know one thing: I will make sure she returns to the castle with us." He then glared at Etna for a few seconds. "Just don't tease me about it."

Etna shook her head. A smile was plastered on her face. Not her usual grin, an actual smile. "There's no need to worry about it, Laharl-sama. Let's go and find her. Gordon, Jennifer, Kurtis, Thursday, and Aramis should be out of their spell by now. Let's go check on them."

Laharl nodded in reply. "Alright."

As they checked on the defenders and Aramis, Etna kept thinking to herself about what Laharl said. Etna was a little scared herself when she used formality with Laharl. Still, she was glad to know what his true feelings were. _There's no reason to tease you now. After the battle with the Seraph, I've noticed that you and Flonne-chan started to care about each other more and more. However, every time Flonne-chan tries to show you her feelings, you try to distance yourself away from her. Sometimes, that's why I tease you. I tease because you can never get yourself to tell her your true feelings. But now, even though you are still unsure of your feelings, I'm glad that you're telling me your feelings for her. Even though I still tease, just please know that I want you and Flonne-chan to be together…_

Somewhere in Eternal Apocalypse, Setsuna was shuffling through the stuff in his cape. He pulled out the three charms off his neck: the double cross, the lapis lazuli/obsidian arrowhead, and the Gemini symbol. He looked down on them and began to speak into them.

_The stage is set. He will surely be coming here. You two had better be ready._

_'Are you letting us out?'_

_Yes. He needs to be stronger before he reaches me. You two are simply going to act as checks on the way. You know, test his power._

_"Finally, we're going to be able to get out and walk again!"_

_You're going first._

_'YAYZ!!!!'_

_"Damn you…"_

_All right then… _Setsuna began to twirl his priest staff, each rotation becoming faster. Soon, the cross, the lapis lazuli side of the arrowhead, and the Gemini symbol began to glow. Setsuna started to chant once again. "_Oh holy charms, bring back thy angel from his sleep. Let his pure essence return to the universe and obey my command. I SUMMON YOU CELESTIAL ANGEL CHIROKO!!!!_"

If Laharl and the others thought that Setsuna alone was difficult, they hadn't seen nothing yet. This battle was about to become a little more complicated…

**

* * *

****Next Episode**

Etna: Long ago, demons and angels lived in perfect harmony.

Flonne: I'm so happy for them! I wish that could happen here!!

Etna: …that is until the angels started turning into monsters!

Flonne: Oh poo…

Laharl: Did you really think she would do something about peace and love…?

Etna: But there is hope, for I, the High Priest Etna along with her slaves Laharl, the demon prince, Flonne the Love Freak, and Aramis the zombie trainer shall bring the peace back to all!

Flonne: Go High Priest Etna!!!!

Laharl: This has to be the most dumb—SLAVES!?!

Etna: Next time on **Journey to the Makai: Here Comes Your Savior!! **With my paper roll, I shall establish my peace throughout the land…along with some fun!

Flonne: Road trip!!!

Laharl: Paper roll…?

* * *

CLIFFHANGER!!! Yes, this is a very confusing episode, which went through numerous changes during the course of writing it. By the time I was finished, I had five hundred other different scenarios that this could've been written in. The fact that Flonne has vanished may have stayed, but this chapter was a lot different when I was first writing it. For one, it wasn't going to end in a cliffhanger. There was going to be more to it, but when I realized that I was already 15 pages in, and haven't gotten into the real battles of this part, I realized that I could either make this a huge chapter or split it into two. I decided the latter, and continue the rest of this part into the next chapter. If you're wondering what the spoof is this time, it's supposed to be Gensou Maden Saiyuki. At least it makes this fic longer. Oh and I know I'm missing one more vassal, but I forgot the name of the Golem. All I remember is five of Krichevskoy's vassals.

Speaking of which, Aku no Tsubasa will be coming to a close soon. That's right, I have four to five chapters left to this fic, so expect some big battle scenes from here on. While it is posted on my profile, the next thing on my list of fics is actually getting deeper into Nostalgic Feelings, as well as starting my next fic, which is a funny pseudo-sequel to Aku no Tsubasa. As for the upcoming chapter, it will be the continuation of this chapter. Watch as Laharl and Setsuna battle it out, and watch as Setsuna reveals a couple of his secrets.


	9. Legends of the Past

**Author's notes: **In order make this chapter more bearable and not destroy your brain, I have decided to yet again split this part. Turns out this part may be longer than the final battle. I know it's taking so long but please bear with me. The 10th chapter will finally finish of this part and then we can move forward toward the end (Hey, at least this means I might have 14 chapters to this fic. Hey, that's just as much as Disgaea!) So be prepared to lose your mind in this one.

Oh, and Bella you were right. 'Setsunai' does match Setsuna perfectly, which you'll see in this chapter (Setsunai means pain, tired, and a bunch of other hurtful things). I'm considering on writing a fic on the 'Great Betrayal', my own made up war between the angels and demons years before even Krichevskoy and Lamington. If you'd like to see a fic like this (Setsuna, Kuroyami, and Chiriko will be in it) please tell me and I'll consider doing it in the future. For now, let us focus on Aku no Tsubasa, for the end may be coming fairly soon. Oh, and sorry, I made a typo in the last chapter. It's 'Chiriko, Celestial Angel', not Chiroko.

It is time to see what Setsuna can really do, and maybe learn a little more about him. Ready, let's go!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Disgaea, as you might expect. I do, however, own Setsuna, Chiriko, Kuroyami, and Yuki.

**

* * *

****Episode 9: Legends of the Past (Messiah of Light and Darkness part 2)**

Setsuna sat on the ground and looked into the sky. While this place was the more calmer than the rest of Eternal Apocalypse, it still gave off a grim feeling. The sky was covered in nothing but black. It was a very dreadful place to be in, and probably the worst place for anyone to battle, but this place was the obvious choice for those who want to prove their worth. With his battle against Laharl coming up, Setsuna took the time to reflect on his past. As the memories flooded him, one of the two voices echoed in his mind.

"_It's been awhile since I've been here."_

_Yeah. This place may have always been murky, but the Great Betrayal caused this place to become so unstable._

"_You had to bring that up ever again. To think that I could lose…"_

_Heh…you should be focusing on your battle. Remember, you go next._

"_Do you really think that kid can hold him off?"_

_Of course. After all he was able to stand up to you._

"…"

Somewhere else in Eternal Apocalypse, Laharl and the others raced to the other side of this dreadful stage. Setsuna's charms have caused Flonne to vanish, and if Laharl wanted to get her back, he was going to have to fight Setsuna with everything he got. Despite the coming of danger, Etna, Aramis, Gordon, Jennifer, Kurtis, and Thursday have continued to follow him. While Laharl was against this, he needed all the help he could get.

As they headed towards the location of the battle, Etna noticed something written on Laharl's hand. "Hey Prince, what's that on your hand?"

Laharl sighed, a little disappointed that Etna was back to calling him 'Prince', unlike before when she was calling him 'Laharl-sama'. He decided to explain the meaning of it. "I don't know. It's some kind of weird thing Flonne wrote before we left."

"Flonne-chan, wrote it?"

"Yeah. It was supposed to be some kind of good luck charm or something." As they headed for the other side, Laharl began to remember what happened that morning with Flonne.

**Flashback**

"Laharl-san, can you come here please?" Flonne asked the Overlord. It was the morning of the battle, and everyone was preparing themselves for the worst. Despite this, Flonne was as energetic as ever.

Laharl, on the other hand, was lethargic as her sighed, and walked towards her with a bit of annoyance. "Yeah, what is it, Love Freak?"

"Hold out your hand."

"Why?"

"Please!"

"Oh fine." Laharl did what he was told and held out his hand. Suddenly, Flonne snatched his hand and took out a marker. She began to write something on his hand. When she was done, a weird symbol was on his hand. The symbol looked like a combination of a star and a cross (Star-crossed, get it? Okay, I'll stop…). "What the hell is this supposed to be?"

"It's a Celestia good luck charm." Flonne explained to him. Since she was a former Celestian, she remembers many of the Celestian myths. "They say that when you're in trouble, you write the symbol of an angel pertaining to whatever you are going through."

"So who is this supposed to be? Is this supposed to be the Seraph's symbol?"

"No, actually this is the symbol of the Celestial Angel, Chiriko." Flonne explained to him. "You have said that during the 'Great Betrayal', the demonic traitor Kuroyami tried to destroy both Celestia and the Netherworld, right? A myth in Celestia explains that Kuroyami was defeated by the angel Chiroko, and disappeared along with him. Because he charged into battle when he was very young, they said that spirits have been watching over him and protecting him. The symbol is rumored to have the same effect. It's like you're being watch by him."

"Now that sounds very disturbing…being watched every second by some dead hero…"

"Laharl-san!"

"But I'll keep it. Thanks Flonne."

"Tee hee. You're welcome, Laharl-san."

**End of Flashback**

"I just hope this myth is true…" Said a very unsure Laharl.

"Yeah, I don't need to end up losing because of Flonne-chan's idea." Etna said, remembering a similar event. "Remember when we lost to the 'Alternate Overlord'?"

"Don't remind me…" As Laharl kept running, he noticed that everywhere he went looked the same. It was miles and miles of similar looking rocky land without any end. It made Laharl wonder whether or not there was another side to Eternal Apocalypse. Knowing that Setsuna had probably the worst sense of direction, Laharl didn't know whether or not Setsuna was even there. After taking the time to stop, he caught his breath. Then, in a burst of fury "WHERE THE HELL ARE WE GOING! DID THAT STUPID PRIEST GET LOST AGAIN!"

Seeing that Laharl was about to get into another one of his temper tantrums, Kurtis turned to Thursday and asked, "Hey, are we going the right way or anything?"

"Blip beep, let me scan for life forms." Thursday put on his scanners and took the time to scan the area for where Setsuna may be. After much calculation, Thursday came up with one conclusion. "Thursday has detected one life form. He is around the immediate vicinity." Everyone was now on their guard. Unless it was another person, which isn't likely because Setsuna and the rest are the only beings here, the person here had to be Setsuna. Thursday made another attempt to scan the person, and came up with another conclusion. "Blip beep. It is not Setsuna. The person has similar energy patterns, but it is not him."

"That can't be!" Gordon exclaimed. "Besides us, he's the only one here! Are you sure your scanner is working properly?"

Jennifer shook her head in disagreement. "No, I checked him this morning. He's just fine."

Laharl tried looking around, but there was no one there. Everywhere he looked, there were just rocks. "But there's nothing here." Suddenly, a shot rang out. Everyone was able to dodge it, allowing the shot to collide with the ground.

The person the shot originated from began to chuckle. "Teehee. You must be Laharl-kun. You're much different than I expected."

Laharl felt the presence of the shooter from another rock. He turned to rock and yelled out, "Who's there?"

"Hey, that's not very nice of you to yell out 'Who's there' in a person's house!"

"THIS ISN'T EVEN YOUR HOUSE AND YOU JUST COPIED THAT LINE FROM SOMEONE ELSE!"

"It's not? Whoops, silly me! Okay, then I have no choice but to reveal myself." The shooter jumped up from hiding spot and landed on rock. It turned out to be a very young boy. He looked even younger than Laharl and Aramis. He had sky blue hair and a white windbreaker, along with a pair of baggy shorts. In his hand was a silver gun. He bowed to Laharl and introduced himself. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Chiriko, a former angel from Celestia!"

"Chiriko? Like in the legend?"

"Oh I'm a legend? I didn't even know! I didn't think helping the angels defeat Kuro-kun would make me a legend."

"So you are the Celestial Angel!" Laharl couldn't believe it. The very person that Flonne believed in was not only a little kid, but was also working for Setsuna. This situation was getting stranger by the minute.

Chiriko jumped from his rock and landed a few feet from the group. He, being a childish hyper kid, was jumping for joy, even if this was going to be a big battle. "Sorry, but I'm not going to let you fight Setsuna-san! If you want to battle him, you'll have to get past me!"

Back on the other side of Eternal Apocalypse, Setsuna was holding a couple of tiles. He placed one with the tiles beside him and placed another in a spot where a couple of other tiles were scattered. As he kept examining each tile, the other voice started to talk again.

"_Are you sure sending the ol' Chiriko-chan was a good idea?"_

_Well, I wouldn't send you first. Chiriko-chan is better as their first challenger. It's not like he's weak either. That gun of his is very special and can really hamper Laharl-kun's chances of getting further. It's not like he's trying to defeat him anyway._

"_Still, I heard this Laharl was strong enough to beat the Seraph of this time. If I remember correctly, Lamington is a bit stronger than him. Don't you think Chiriko-chan could lose?"_

_Are you worried about him?  
_

"_Worried! Of course not!"_

_Good, cuz you should've been worried about our game. Ron._

"_DAMN YOU! IF I HAD MY BODY, I WOULD'VE KICKED YOUR ASS IN MAHJONG BY NOW!"_

Sure…whatever you say… Yes, they were playing Mahjong. What a great way to pass the time… 

Back to where Chiriko and Laharl were…

"So you'd better be prepared!" Warned Chiriko. "You may end up losing to me if you're not, so come at me however you like!" However, the stares that Laharl and the others were giving didn't make them look like they were scared at all. The arrogant boasts of Chiriko couldn't match his small stature, not to mention childish looks. His small stature made him look like a mouse compared to the others, even Laharl, Aramis, and Kurtis. Looking like a kid did not help his case either.

Laharl burst into laughter at the thought of fighting the tyke. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! So this is Setsuna's idea of a speed bump? He must be really pitiful to send a kid on us!"

"Eh? But you're a kid too."

Laharl's laughter ceased, and soon turned into anger once again. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY!"

"You know he's right, Prince." Etna told him. "You're pretty short, plus you're only 1315 years old."

"You're only 100 years older than I am, Etna! I am much older than that toddler, both age wise and maturity!"

"Aw…but you're cute as a child, Laharl-chan." Jennifer moaned.

"AND STOP CALLING ME LAHARL-CHAN!" Even in this serious battle, there was room for humor, and Laharl was taking the brunt of it.

Chiriko giggled as he raised his gun. "Well, I can't argue that I'm kid. After all, I'm only 1123, but don't let my age fool you. If you feel that I can't defeat you then that's your opinion. That means I should make the first blow!" Chiriko pointed his gun at the team and shot pulled the trigger. As the energy was about project itself, Chiriko right hand started to glow. Soon, the large projectile shot towards Laharl and the others at an incredibly fast rate. Despite this, Laharl and the rest were able to dodge it, but the attack wasn't over yet. Chiriko raised his gun. His right hand was still glowing. "Chibi Buster Mallet!" Suddenly, the shot jetted upwards into the sky and turned into a gigantic hammer. The hammer tried to squash everyone, but they luckily dodged it in time. Still, the hammer made contact with the ground, causing a small earthquake that hit everyone, not to mention the debris from the attack flew at them. When the dust cleared, there was a large crater than ran really deep. Everyone was amazed that Chiriko could do such a thing. "I didn't think I'd miss that time."

Laharl, dusting off the debris, couldn't believe that a child could do something like that. "What are you? How the hell did you do that?"

"Oh that. That's nothing for my Chi Gun." Chiriko said.

"Chi Gun?"

"Yes. This is no ordinary gun as you can see. It has a special property that allows me to do different things." Chiriko pointed his gun at Laharl, and pulled the trigger with his hand glowing once again. "Chi Blade Arrow!" Laharl and others tried to dodge the next blast, but as the shot came out, the tip of the shot was widened, making it look like a boomerang. Laharl and the others couldn't dodge this one at all, allowing the shot to make contact with all of them. Everyone was still able to get up after that attack, but still, it seems that Chiriko was someone to look out for.

"Damn it, he changed the power of his gun again!" Laharl groaned. "How's he doing that with just a gun?"

"It's because it is a Chi gun." Gordon said.

"Oh thank you for stating the obvious!"

"No, you don't understand." Gordon told him. "While you demons and angels may call it something else, to humans, chi, or sometimes ki, is the power that flows through our bodies. Some humans are unable to unlock it, but those who do get amazing powers. It's basically the energy that we can use in our attacks."

"I get it now." Etna noted. "That gun of his doesn't shoot out it's own power. All this power is coming from him, and since it's his own power, he is able to manipulate it."

"Well, yeah, I believe that's how he's able to create all those objects out of his shots." Gordon said.

"Wow, for once, you're actually being smart…"

"Can it, Overlord!"

"You guys are as smart as Setsuna-san says." Chiriko cheerfully said. "As you have said, the energy coming out of the gun isn't its power, but my power. By sending my energy into the gun, I can shoot it out at a faster rate than sending them on my own. And then when I shoot out my energy, I'm able to manipulate it at any time." Chiriko pointed his gun at them again.

"Oh no, he's gonna use another attack!"

"Damn, what should we do?"

"Here I come! Chi Gatling Buster!" Just as Chiriko pulled the trigger, Chiroko began to spin out of control from the group and shot his energy away from them. Because he was caught off guard, he was unable to think and unable to control his energy like before.

Seeing this as his chance, Laharl charged at Chiriko with his flaming fist attack. "Blazing Knuckles!" The attack was able to connect and Chiriko was sent flying. The kid angel fell to the ground with a loud thud. Laharl was glad that he was able to finally get an attack in, but it made him wonder why Chiriko would suddenly spin and lose control.

That's when Gordon walked up to Laharl with his smoking gun in his hand. "Haven't you ever watched any westerns? The winner is always the guy with the quicker draw."

"I get it now. So your shot hit his gun, which made him spin around."

"Yup." Gordon replied. "It's easier for a kid that small to stagger or be blown into the air. The impact my gun made on his was powerful enough to at least stun him for a few seconds."

"Heh…you're actually being useful for once."

"Hey, is that what you say to someone who just helped you win?"

"Gawd…Gordon's so embarrassing…" Kurtis muttered.

"Setsuna-san was right." Everyone turned back to where Chiriko has fallen. He was back again, keeping a firm a grip on his gun. Even then, he was still smiling like any happy child. "You guys are strong. I guess I shouldn't have underestimated any of you. Looks like I'll have to change my weapon then." Suddenly, the grip of the gun and the trigger fell off, leaving only the barrel. Chiriko clutched the barrel and began to wave it in the air. "Chi Gun Desperation: Chi Whip!" Suddenly, a long beam of energy appeared behind the group. They dodged out of its way, but the whip turned on the nearest target and swatted it across the field.

"BEEEEEEEEEP! Thursday has sustained damage! Must go into recovery mode! Cannot continue battle!"

Jennifer ran over to Thursday and checked on all his mechanisms to see if there's anything that needed repair. She groaned when she found a couple of cracks. "It's good thing I designed your armor to be strong to withstand incredibly forces, otherwise you would've been shattered. This may take some time, but I'll try and repair you."

"Don't worry, I made sure my Chi Whip didn't break your robot." Chiriko told Jennifer.

"I'm guessing that your Chi Whip is simply concentrating your energy into the form of a whip." Laharl said.

"Wow. You caught on so fast." Chiriko applauded Laharl. "Yes, just like my Chi Gun, my Chi Whip is simply a concentration of my energy into the form of a whip. However, because it is a whip, I have more control over both its path and it's form, unlike the shots from the gun. And so I can do something like this!" Chiriko pushed the hilt/barrel of his Chi Whip into the ground, and began to send his energy into it once again. "Chi Whip Dashing Stalagmite!" Suddenly, spikes of energy began to rise from the ground. They were coming up all over the place, making it hard for everyone to dodge. Eventually, the place was covered with vicious blue spikes, separating everyone from each other.

"Damn, where is everyone?" Kurtis grunted as he tried to get past the field of spikes. "Where am I going?" Suddenly, a large blue hand shot up from the ground and grabbed Kurtis.

From the sidelines, Chiriko began to cheer now that he had fished out the green prinny. "Yay! I got the green prinny! Well, it's not nice of me steal Laharl-kun's vassals so may be I should return him." Chiriko ordered the energy hand to make its palm face Laharl and the other, while still holding onto Kurtis.

Etna, seeing Kurtis in the air, realized what Chiriko was doing and became alert. "Oh no! He's going to throw Kurtis at us!"

"Damn it, he's gonna use Kurtis' Prinny ability!" Laharl grunted.

Not knowing what the abilities of Prinnies are, Gordon asked them, "What are you talking about? He's just going to throw Kurtis back to us!'

"You idiot!" Etna chided him. "Kurtis is now a Prinny!"

"So?"

"And Prinnies explode when thrown!"

"What?" Being a human, Gordon had no idea that Prinnies had such abilities, so it was a bit of a shocker to him. "Then what happens to Kurtis!" The three demons remained silent, but the grim faces answered Gordon's fear. "There's no time to waste! We must prevent him from exploding!"

"Easier said than done, Slayer." Laharl exclaimed. "If there's any hard impact, even if he's caught, Kurtis will explode. If we want to save them, we need to catch him with something that won't make such a big impact! Etna, any suggestions? You're the Prinny expert!"

Etna shook her head. "Sorry Prince, but the only thing I can think of is catching Kurtis with something soft, and it all depends on how hard he throws it."

"Give Kurtis back to us, you dirty angel!" Gordon shouted at the angelic child.

Chiriko pouted. "You didn't need to add 'the dirty angel' if you wanted him back. Here ya go!" With a snap of his fingers, the energy tossed Kurtis towards the group incredibly hard.

This was bad and Etna knew it. "It's too fast! Now he'll explode if he touches almost anything!"

Kurtis, seeing him moving closer and closer to the group, shouted, "Get out of the way! I'm going to explode if I hit any of you!" It was no use. None of them knew a way to save Kurtis or themselves. Even if they were to dodge, Kurtis would be injured in the process. There was no way they wanted that to happen.

"Wait. There is a way." Aramis rushed out of the group. Etna tried calling him back, but he wouldn't obey. He ran towards Kurtis until he was in the perfect position. That's when Aramis pulled out a whip and grabbed Kurtis just in time. "As long as I don't crack it too hard, the whip won't cause that much of an impact, allowing me to simple drop him on the ground." Everyone was relieved. At least Kurtis wasn't going to explode. But then…

"Aramis, look out!" However, Etna's warning came too late. By the time Aramis turned around, the energy hand had balled up into a fist and propelled him into the air. Once in the air, the fist smashed him into the ground. "Aramis!" Etna ran to Aramis' lifeless body to check on him. Luckily, he was still alive, but knocked out. Kurtis, from the shock of everything, was also out cold. Etna clutched her spear and glared back at Chiriko.

Chiriko bowed his head and apologized. "I know I hurt your friend, but it's still my duty to make sure you don't pass. I tried my best not to injure him severely so don't worry. But now, it's down to you three. I'm sorry, but please forgive me for this next one!" Chiriko raised the whip's hilt and began to twirl it above his head. Suddenly, the energy started to increase at an incredible rate. Finally, when his energy has gathered, he sent out the energy in vicious flurry. "Chi Whip Fury Attack: Sonic Cyclone Whip Smasher!" Laharl, Etna, and Gordon had no place to move, for the attack was everywhere. No matter where they moved, there would always be the energy whip slicing through the air. There were times where Laharl and Etna were able to dodge, but a few of the slashes were able to leave a few scratches on the two, not to mention tatter Laharl's cape and slice off one of Etna's ribbons. There was no escape from this attack. Their only chance was to cancel Chiriko out of it, but getting in close was suicide, and if they were to charge up for an energy attack, Chiriko could easily swat them with his whip. However, one person remained perfectly calm in midst of all this chaos. "Hm? Why is the funny hair man standing still?" Like Chiriko noted, Gordon, despite the storm the whip created, was standing perfectly still with his arms crossed. Chiriko had completely missed him, as he had been trying to hit Laharl and Etna. Chiriko shrugged it off and set his sights on Gordon. "Oh well, I guess I can pick off this one. Sorry but this is bai bai funny hair man!"

"Gordon, you idiot! Move!" Etna called out to him. However, Gordon didn't even budge a bit.

"Is this your idea of being a hero, because you're just gonna die in the end!" Laharl scolded him. Despite everything that was coming at him, Gordon remained perfectly still. Finally, one of Chiriko's energy whips started coming for Gordon. It seemed like he was going to be the next to be put out of commission. Then, in a move that surprised everyone…

"Just because it is made of energy, that doesn't mean that it doesn't have the properties of a normal whip!" …Gordon caught this whip in his bare hands, surprising everyone around him. As he continued to keep his grip on it, the other slashes of the whip began to disappear.

Chiriko was stunned. He couldn't believe that his whip would actually be caught, especially after that attack. "But that's impossible! It's an energy whip, so it should be harder to hold! It should be hurting you!"

"It does hurt holding this!" Gordon told him. "But even then, it is still a whip, and if I have the willpower, I can do this! After all, justice can shield me from any opposition, allowing me to crush this evil!"

"I still haven't lost yet! I can still slip the whip out of your hands!"

"I won't allow you to do that!" In that moment, Gordon yanked his side of the energy whip. The force of Gordon's pull forced Chiriko over to him, forcing him to let go of the hilt of the whip. Chiriko was now flying towards Gordon at an uncontrollable rate, making him vulnerable to any of Gordon's attacks. When Chiriko was in optimal range, "Because you are lighter, you can't stay on the ground as long. In this game of tug of war, I win! Gordon Uppercut!" Gordon let out an uppercut version of his powerful Gordon Punch and sent Chiriko high into the air. He turned towards Laharl. "Here's our chance! We can defeat him now if we use a team attack!"

"Heh…you actually pulled that one off. Now you really have earned the name of 'Slayer of the Netherworld! Let's finish him off!" Laharl jumped into the air. Gordon did the same. As they reached Chiriko, both Laharl and Gordon grabbed hold of him. At the peak of their height, they let gravity do the rest of the work, and performed their team attack. "Overlord-Slayer Drive: Gravitation Impact!" Their decent towards the ground was fast. Falling from the height they were at, their velocity kept increasing more rapidly as they reached the ground. In their finally minutes in the air, Gordon tossed Laharl and Chiriko towards the ground, and punched Chiriko with another powerful Gordon Punch, causing the velocity of their decent to increased. When Laharl finally reach the ground, he pinned Chiriko onto the rock hard soil, and, after charging the flames in his hands, forced a flaming pillar out of the ground. In the crater, created by Laharl and Gordon's team attack, Chiriko's lifeless body lay at the bottom. After an attack like that, there was no way he would be getting up.

Laharl took some time to catch his breath. When he finally achieved normal breathing, he looked over at Gordon, who gave him a thumbs up. Laharl groaned, but nevertheless thanked him for his help. "Heh…I have to admit, you were useful in this battle."

Gordon nodded. "When a friend of ours is in danger, we have to be serious. We cannot simply fool around here."

"You're right. We'd better get going."

However, Etna stopped them for a few minutes. "Wait a minute. What about Aramis, Jennifer, Kurtis, and Thursday? We can't just them here."

"It's alright." Jennifer reassured her. "We need some time to rest. You three go on ahead. I'll watch over Aramis-chan and Kurtis while repairing Thursday."

"But—"

"Don't worry, Aramis-chan will be fine, Etna-chan." Jennifer once again reassured her. "Now go. You all have to save Flonne-chan."

Etna nodded and turned back towards Laharl and Gordon. She decided to remove one of her ribbons, the one that was destroyed by Chiriko. The hair that was contained by the ribbon was now flowing freely while the other was still tied. Etna clutched her spear, determined to see this through to the end. "Let's go!"

"Yeah. We're going to save Flonne no matter what." And so, Laharl, Etna, and Gordon once again headed for Setsuna. Even if they have lost five party members, the three won't stop until they make sure they retrieve Flonne. However, there was one thing they didn't notice: Chiriko's lifeless body was no longer in the crater…

Back at Setsuna's area, Setsuna was examining his three charms again. The blue glow of the lapis lazuli side of the arrowhead had returned.

_'Mou…those guys are so mean…I didn't think they would hit me so hard…'_

"_Did you really think they would go easy on you, Chiriko-chan?" _

_Well they passed the first hurdle. Laharl-kun's power is really turning into something. _

"_Well now it's time for the next hurdle, am I right?"_

_You've wanted to go out for a while now…_

"_Of course! I don't wanna stay in here!"_

_Very well, then I guess it is time to bring you back. Just don't cause so much chaos…_

"_Are you saying that I can't control myself! Is this a face that can't be trusted!"_

_YES!_

"_Grrrrrr…just make it quick, alright! I don't wanna stay here all day."_

_Hold on. Give me time to perform the pact! _Setsuna once again twirled his priest staff, gathering his powers for his next pact. This time, the charms that were glowing were the obsidian side of his arrowhead and a weird X on his holy cross charm that looked like a scar, as well as his Gemini symbol. Setsuna chanted again. "_I command thee to break the seal on the shadows and bring back the evil scourged from the universe. Let his blood shatter through the seal and allow his shadows to obey my command! Awaken from your sleep, traitor! COME FORTH DEMONIC HITOKIRI, KUROYAMI!_"

Somewhere in the Eternal Apocalypse…

"I feel it!" Etna gasped. Laharl and Gordon felt it too. "A huge surge of energy…just now…that must've been..."

"Hold on!" Gordon said. "Remember the last time that happened. This could be another one of Setsuna's flunkies."

"But if it is another one of Setsuna's warriors, then Setsuna should be up ahead." Laharl concluded. Etna and Gordon agreed. Since Eternal Apocalypse was a humongous place, their only option was to follow a trail of energy, and hope that it belonged to Setsuna. Just as they were about to start moving again…

"So you are the one's who defeated Chiriko-chan? Heh…I hope you live up to the rumors…"

"Who's there!" Laharl shouted at the unknown shadow.

Their next opponent chuckled. "Hmhmhm…now now, don't be so hasty. Why not wait until I…" Suddenly, a chill went down Laharl, Etna, and Gordon's back. From hearing the next line… "…get down and introduce myself?" …they could tell that he was now right behind them. The three jumped back, stunned that their opponent had gotten behind them so fast. Their next opponent appeared to be as old as Setsuna. He had fiery red hair and a red scarf that covered his face. His attire consisted of black tank top and cargo pants. In his hand was a vicious katana. "Before you die, it is best that you learn my name. I'm sure you've heard of me before. I am Kuroyami, the one who brought ruin to Celestia and the Netherworld and will soon be the one that will take your lives!" Laharl and Etna were shocked. They couldn't believe it with their own eyes. The demon before them was none other than the great traitor himself. "What's with the look? I'm just another killer demon! I'm sure a lot of those are still in the Netherworld."

"But how did you return! And why are you siding with your enemy, Chiriko! And why are you two pairing up with Setsuna!"

"Heh…there's no need to worry about that once you're dead! Now get ready to face the power of a real demon!" Kuroyami sheathed his sword and began his charge at Laharl, Etna, and Gordon. If they thought Chiriko was hard, they hadn't seen anything yet.

Back on the other side of Eternal Apocalypse, Setsuna had a couple of red picks in his hands. In front of him was weird board with a couple of holes on it. As he placed down a couple of the picks, Chiriko's voice rang through his mind again.

_'I know I couldn't do it, but I'm sure Kuro-kun can beat them! He's incredibly strong!'_

_You're really supportive of Kuroyami-san._

'_Of course! He moves so fast that you can never see him. The way he creeps up from behind them makes it looks like he traveled through their own shadows! It's no wonder they call him the great 'Shadow Hitokiri'!'_

_Heh…even if he is a demon, you still love being his friend._

'_Mmm-hmmm. Oh BF23 DF32! Looks like I activated the homing missiles. You lose, Setsuna-kun!'_

_Looks like you sunk my last battleship. You never lose in any game. Then again that was a cheat code you got from that story _(Referring to one of my older fics. That's right everyone. They were playing Battleship.

_'Teehee. By the way Setsuna-kun, I was wondering if I could see…?'_

_Yeah, you really wanted to see her. I need to talk to her anyway, so you can play with her for a bit.  
_

_'YAY!'_

Back to where the fight was taking place, Kuroyami has had the upper hand from the beginning and wasn't about to let it go. He moved at an unimaginable speed. He was too fast to be caught by even the eye. Each time Laharl, Etna, or Gordon attacked, he used his speed to get behind them, and counter their attacks. What made his assault even worse was that Kuroyami hasn't used any special attack. Everything was just a counter and simple sword swipes. No fancy combo or magic or anything. "This is all you've got! I haven't even used any special technique and you're still falling before me! If you keep this up then the next time you'll be meeting will be as my Prinny slave! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Damn it, this guy just moves too fast!" No matter what Laharl did, Kuroyami would easily counter it thanks to his impressive speed. It looked like there was no way around him. "How can we get him!"

"Wait! I might have an idea!" Gordon charged at Kuroyami with all his might.

Kuroyami simply scoffed at his attacker. "Heh…you really think that kind of assault will work on me!" Kuroyami charged at Gordon as well with his sword out. As expected, Kuroyami was the faster one, and was already within range to attack him. "Maybe I'll start with you before taking down the Overlord!"

"Well you can't do that…" Just before the sword could hit. "…without your sword!" Gordon caught with his bare hands. This was move was something that Kuroyami didn't expect. "Well what do you think? Can you really kill us off unarmed?"

Kuroyami simply snickered. Soon it became a chuckle and then into evil burst of laughter. "Hehehe…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What so funny!"

"Disarm me? I must applaud you for your effort, but…" In a flash, Kuroyami's sword disappeared from Gordon's hand. Even worse, Kuroyami was behind him again. "…can you disarm someone that's too fast for you?" In that very second, Kuroyami punished Gordon's futile effort by using a powerful slash on his back. Blood gushed out of the wound as Gordon fell to the ground. "Heh…first one down in less than three minutes. Now you're next!"

Laharl gritted his teeth, glaring at Kuroyami. He clutched his sword and tried to charge at him, but Etna stopped him. "If we try to charge at him, we'll just end up like Gordon. Gordon is fine; just let him rest there. We need to focus on Kuroyami if we want to get Flonne-chan back. I'll try and distract him. Prince, go in when he lets his guard down." Laharl agreed to go along with the plan. If Kuroyami drops his guard while fighting Etna, Laharl may get a hit.

Before Etna headed for Kuroyami, Laharl stopped her to say one thing. "Etna…be careful."

Etna winked at Laharl. "Don't worry about me, Prince. Worry about Flonne-chan." Etna then turned her attention to Kuroyami. From her position, Etna began to charge her energy into her hands. In her hands gathered the pink energy, which was in the shape of a heart. When the energy had reached it's limit, Etna launched her vicious, yet not so vicious-looking, attack. "Sexy Beam!" Etna's attack launched several pink beams at Kuroyami.

As the beams neared Kuroyami, he became arrogant once again. "Ha! You really think this will get me!" Kuroyami dodged the attack once again, and was behind Etna. This all occurred in a second. Etna couldn't believe that he could dodge that one so fast. "The problem with you guys is that you keep wasting your energy on attacks that could possibly miss! With the speed I have, I can use my specials when I'm ready. In fact, I'll show you one of them right now! Prepare to die! Serpent Nightsever!" In a short amount of time, Kuroyami had performed several vicious slashes on Etna before sending her flying with the last one. The speed at which Kuroyami was moving was too fast, even for Laharl to catch him. Within seconds, Etna was on the ground, with pieces of her clothes tattered in the attack, including her second ribbon. Kuroyami then turned his attention to the young Overlord himself. "The other pieces have fallen. Now it's time to go for checkmate. This is the end for you Overlord!" Kuroyami charged at Laharl at high speed, as predicted. Laharl, however, was not even moving. He remained still from where he was standing. Kuroyami scoffed this attempt. _If he plans on countering, he has no chance! All I have to do is get him with my Serpent Nightsever and it'll be over with, just like with his vassals! _Kuroyami has achieved the optimal position, and Laharl was still not moving. Kuroyami saw this as the perfect chance to truly finish him. "You're finished, Overlord! Now die!" Kuroyami raised his sword and…got swatted halfway across the field? Kuroyami couldn't believe it. Laharl was able to actually counter his attack.

Laharl turned towards Kuroyami with demonic glare in his eyes. Laharl wasn't going to lose this battle. "Are you going to keep scurrying like a fly till I swat you or are you gonna actually fight?"

Kuroyami, despite the damage received from the last attack, easily got up from the ground. His body was boiling with excitement. "Heh…you're one of the few people who got a hit on me. Congratulations…but now that means I'm gonna a lot more serious this time around." Kuroyami pointed his sword at Laharl and started to charge his energy right into the sword. The sword was now glowing an evil red. Kuroyami raised his sword sliced at the air. "Sonic Serpent Wave!" Kuroyami's swipe had caused a demonic serpent to shoot out of the sword and towards Laharl.

Just as the serpent was about to hit, Laharl jumped into the air. Kuroyami caught a glimpse of Laharl in mid air. Kuroyami practically expected this and jumped up to catch up to him. However, what he didn't expect was that large meteors were raining down on the field, and that Laharl was riding the largest one. The fiery boulders were raining down really fast, and because Kuroyami was in the air, there was no way he would be able to dodge it. "Meteor Impact!" The first to hit was Laharl's enormous meteor followed by every other flaming rock that crashed down with him. The impact caused major damage to Kuroyami, who was now on the ground, clutching his chest. Laharl glared at Kuroyami and began to chuckle evilly. "Now what was that you said about wasting your energy on attacks that couldn't hit?"

"Heh…to think you had such a powerful attack…well then I'll just have to be serious…" Kuroyami's right arm began to glow with malicious energy. The power it gave off made Laharl's rabbit ear hair stand on it ends. Kuroyami's desperate attack was about to appear. "I must say Overlord, you truly are powerful…but I'm not allowing you to go any further. My final attack cannot be stopped. So prepare yourself for the worst. _Return from the shadows and engulf my opponent in true terror! Bring back the horror you have caused in the past! Come forth nine serpents of destruction! Warugi no Hebi!_" Suddenly, everything around Laharl had turned black. All he could see were glowing eyes. _What the hell is all this? _Then in that very moment, everything became pitch black. Nothing could be seen. Nothing could be heard. Almost everything had been blinded by this dark attack. When the darkness cleared, Kuroyami was standing upright with a surge of dark power surrounding his arms. Laharl, on the other hand, was already on the ground, suffering from the damage caused by Kuroyami's attack. Kuroyami began to laugh. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How does feel to die at the hands of nine demon serpents!" Despite the major damage caused to him, Laharl was able to get up. "Stubborn fool. Do you really think you can defeat me? Even if you do, at this rate you won't stand a chance against Setsuna."

"I don't care what you say…" Laharl got up and glared at Kuroyami, with determination in his eyes. The red irises in his eyes were now burning like fire. "I won't lose to you or Setsuna…I will get her back!"

"You don't know when to give up, do you? I might as well finish you off. At least I'll be able to put you out of your misery." Kuroyami began to charge the dark energy again. He was about to perform his Warugi no Hebi attack again. Laharl was too far to knock him out of it, so he tried to stand his ground and hope to counter the attack again. Kuroyami simply scoffed at him. "It's useless. You can hardly stand as you are now. You're using all your strength just to stand." Laharl gritted his teeth, knowing that he was right. There was no way Laharl would be able stand against the next one. Kuroyami's arm was covered in the dark energy once again. He was ready to finish this. "Drown in the shadows of my serpents! Die!" Suddenly, Kuroyami felt something heavy on him, which prevented him from using his Warugi no Hebi attack. That's when he realized that Laharl wasn't the only still up on the field. _Damn…so he wasn't dead…_

"With justice by my side? I don't think so!" Gordon had a firm hold on Kuroyami, preventing from doing anything for that time. It turns out he wasn't out after all. "Now that I have you, you cannot perform your ultimate attack!"

"You're starting to get on my nerves, you worthless pest! Be gone!" Kuroyami grabbed Gordon and slammed right onto the ground. Gordon winced in pain as Kuroyami hovered his sword over him. "This time you'll die for real!" Suddenly, a large explosion erupted where Kuroyami was standing. The explosion tossed him into the air. Now that he was flailing in the sky, he was susceptible to any attack.

Laharl began to grin, knowing that there was only one person who could set off an explosion like that. "I knew that demon Hitokiri couldn't keep a fool like you down for long."

Soon, a figure stepped out of the clearing smoke, with a grin on her face. "What did you expect? I'm not gonna let myself get killed here! Not when we still have Flonne-chan to save!" It was Etna. Despite the damage that she received, she was willing to continue the fight. The second ribbon had ripped off, allowing her hair to fully flow wildly in the air. Etna looked up into the sky where Kuroyami was still flailing. There was only one way to finish this. "Time to finish this with a team attack! Ready Prince?"

"Yeah! Let's go!" Now that Kuroyami was open to attack, Laharl and Etna quickly moved in to finish him. "Overlord-Vassal Drive: Overlord's Overkill!" When they both reached Kuroyami, the two of them took out their weapons and began slashing him in an immense fury that wouldn't stop. The faster their attacks, the more energy was charged into it, and the more damage Kuroyami received. At the end of their attacks, they both stabbed Kuroyami with their weapons, and jumped away to summon their powers. In that moment, meteors started to fall from the sky and made their decent towards Kuroyami. The fully wounded Hitokiri felt the impact of the meteors hit him over and over again. It truly was Overkill. In the end, Kuroyami suffered the same fate Chiroko did. His lifeless body was now lying at the bottom of the crater.

At this point, Laharl and Etna took this time to catch their breath. Gordon, too, got up and caught his breath. After braving two incredibly strong opponents, they had to face the mastermind himself. This wasn't going to be an easy battle. However, Etna and Gordon gave Laharl a nod. Despite the injuries they had all received, none of them were willing to give up. Now was not the time for them to stop.

"Prince." Etna began, in a serious tone. "We're not letting you fight him on your own. Even if it's a duel, as one being entrusted by your father, I cannot allow you to die."

"Yes." Gordon said in a dignified voice. "If I let you die, then I will have failed my title as the Slayer of the Netherworld."

"I know how determined you guys are" Laharl began. "But I'm sure Setsuna will, at some point, separate you from me. If that happens, worry about yourself. I'll take over from there. Understand?" The other two nodded. Flonne was already gone. Jennifer, Thursday, Aramis, and Kurtis were left behind. His vassals had been confined to the Castle. There was no way he could afford to lose his head vassal nor his Slayer of the Netherworld. With that in mind, they all headed for Setsuna. However, by the time they left, just as Chiriko had done before him, Kuroyami had disappeared from the depths of the crater.

A few minutes later, Laharl, Etna, and Gordon had reached the other side of the Eternal Apocalypse. It was then that they realized why Setsuna had chosen this place. Of all the places in the Eternal Apocalypse, this one was the least unstable. Huge mountains surrounded the area, but the ground was flat. Without the distractions of the other areas in Eternal Apocalypse, this was the perfect battlefield. Truly a test of one's might. Just like Setsuna had promised, he was right in the middle of the battlefield, sitting down as he looked down on a piece of paper. His mind was attracted to it, making Laharl think that he might be pulling off some powerful talisman.

Laharl rushed towards Setsuna and started to shake him. "Alright, we're here. Let's get this over with."

Setsuna shook his head. "I'm sorry. Let me finish this."

Laharl started to become a little impatient, not to mention annoyed that he wasn't keeping his promise. "I thought you said no talismans!"

"I did. Just…hmmm…" Setsuna was hard at work looking at the piece of paper. He had been toiling with this for hours and there was no way he would give up on it. Finally, he turned to Laharl with a serious look on his eyes. "May I ask you something?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"You'd better not be trying anything funny." Etna warned the priest. "Cuz I WILL kill you if you pull anything."

Setsuna pulled the paper up to Laharl's face, which consisted of several white and black boxes. "I'm looking for a seven letter word that starts with a 'D' and is a slang term for the word 'idiot'. Do you know what that is?"

The three fell right on their faces. After everything they went through, Setsuna had the nerve to ask them for help with his crossword puzzle. Laharl, already at the limit of patience, shouted at the dense priest. "YOU DUMBASS! WE GO THROUGH ALL THIS CRAP JUST TO GET HERE AND YOU'RE ASKING ME TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR PUZZLE!"

"Wait! Hold on a second!" Setsuna finally got it. He took out his pencil and wrote the word 'dumbass' where he needed it. Seeing that his crossword puzzle had been finished, he began to cheer like a small child. "ALL RIGHT! I DID IT! I FINISHED IT!" He turned to Laharl and extended his hand in gratitude. "Thank you, Laharl-kun. You really helped me out with this puzzle."

Laharl took Setsuna's hand and shook it. "Aw…it was noth—HEY!" Laharl snatched back his hand, once again realizing that he was shaking hands with his enemy. "We've been through so much crap and yet you're sitting here, humming as you complete your dumb crossword puzzle!"

"Well sorry, but you guys took so long to get here!"

"THAT WAS YOUR FAULT! YOU SENT YOUR FLUNKIES!" Laharl, Etna, and Gordon yelled at Setsuna altogether. If it weren't for Chiriko and Kuroyami, they would've gotten there faster.

"Those two aren't my flunkies." Setsuna said as he finally got up with his staff in his hands. This time, it seemed like he was ready for battle. "Those two were simply sent to test your power. I needed to make sure that you had improved before fighting me again. It looks like you have. Now step away from your vassals and fight me, Overlord!"

However, Etna and Gordon were reluctant to part with Laharl. There was no way they would let him follow the same twist of fate Flonne did. "Prince isn't the only one here trying to get Flonne-chan back. We all want her to return with the Prince alive. I don't care what you say, I'm not backing down!"

"And neither am I!" Gordon exclaimed with a glint in his eyes. "I shall not stand idly as the Overlord risks his life for this! With justice guiding me, I shall aid him in battle!"

Setsuna chuckled to himself, seeing the burning determination in all three. "I see. You all really care for each other. However, a duel is a duel. The Overlord must fight on his own. If you cannot separate yourself from him, then I'll have to rely on these two to make sure you don't interfere." Suddenly, blasts of blue and black exploded around the group. After the smoke cleared, two objects came at Etna and Gordon. The one coming for Etna was a blade. The one heading towards Gordon looked like a yo-yo. The two had to separate Laharl just to dodge the attack, leaving him face to face with Setsuna. Two silhouettes were covered in smoke, but the voices were all too familiar to Laharl, Etna, and Gordon.

"Heh…did you really think we would go down so easily?"

"That's right! We're back!" Emerging from the smoke was what Etna and Gordon had feared. It was Chiriko and Kuroyami. Both were fully healed and ready to battle again. "Sorry guys, but Setsuna-san would like to face Laharl-kun on his own!"

Laharl glared at Setsuna, now seeing the full picture. It was now obvious to why these two legends would work together with Setsuna, and why they could easily return to full health. "Setsuna, you appear to be 1700, but that doesn't seem to be your real age does it?"

Etna, puzzled with what Laharl was saying, asked him, "Prince, what are you talking about?"

"Well, Flonne said Setsuna was a cross breed, so he could be much older than he looks." Laharl noted from Flonne's last conclusion. Laharl had hit something big and Setsuna knew it. "When I first saw him, I thought he was only 1700 years old, however, Chiroko and Kuroyami follow him around. In addition, they came back at full health so fast. The only for them to do that is for them to be sealed into something that could allow them to heal, but the only way Setsuna cannot seal someone as strong as Kuroyami or Chiroko unless he seals only their spirits."

Etna gasped. Laharl was right. Setsuna cannot seal someone too strong. There was only one explanation for all this. "So then that means…"

"That's right. Kuroyami and Chiroko souls were sealed into one of his charms, and can summon them at will." Laharl's conclusion was right on the dot. Setsuna can temporarily summon Kuroyami and Chiroko back to life thanks to his charms. That led to one more conclusion. "If that's true, then Setsuna, you're not exactly 1700 years old. In order for you to seal Kuroyami and Chiroko, they had to be alive. The last day of the 'Great Betrayal', the day Kuroyami disappeared from the universe…was 3500 years ago!" Thunder crackled through at the sound of Laharl's final conclusion. Etna and Gordon were shocked to hear such a thing. Setsuna did not have the look of a 3500 year old, and to be able to have Kuroyami and Chiroko as allies. It was all too hard for everyone to stomach.

Setsuna chuckled after hearing Laharl's words. It seems that Laharl was right after all. "You are all very perceptive, but I guess Flonne-chan did give you that clue. Yes, I am a cross breed, but I wasn't always a cross breed." Setsuna pulled out his three charms to show everyone. It was time for him tell Laharl his story. "The 'Great Betrayal' was probably the darkest time for all worlds. The sight blood was too common in those days. My wish is to never see anything like this again. I needed to end that war and fast, so I learned many different spells, curses, and seals. What allows me to live so long is the curse that needed the sacrifice of light and darkness. That's when Chiriko and Kuroyami came in. As you know, Kuroyami, at one point, broke into Celestia. Chiriko attempted to protect Celestia from being invaded, but he was overpowered, so I joined and helped him defeat Kuroyami. That's when I performed the pact to give me near immortality, however accepting the curse meant throwing away my humanity. In turn, I became cross breed of human, angel, and demon. Furthermore, I felt guilty for using them in my plan, so I sealed them into these charms before they died. There is only one way this curse can be broken, and that is either if I am killed…or if I complete my mission."

"And what mission is that?" asked the curious Laharl. Everyone needed to know why Setsuna would go through all this. What was his true purpose?

Setsuna, however, refused to answer. "Laharl-kun, at this point you should be worried about someone else." Laharl didn't want to admit it, but Setsuna was right. The top priority now was to defeat Setsuna and retrieve Flonne. "If you want Flonne-chan back, you'll have to defeat me…alone. That is why I re-summoned Kuroyami and Chiriko. I need to see your own strength, not the strength of your teammates. I hope you understand."

Laharl nodded. "I do. I have been planning to fight you on my own since I got your letter. However, I want to make one thing clear: I'm not gonna lose! I will continue to fight until I get Flonne back! Besides, my vassals are strong on their own, they'll do fine without me!"

"Hmmm. That's a bold statement." Setsuna said. "Well then I hope you put all your attention on our battle. Oh and don't worry, Chiriko and Kuroyami promised me _not _to kill your vassals."

"However I'd like to still fight even if Etna decides not to help him. After all…" Kuroyami glanced at Etna with a devious grin on his face as he pointed his demonic katana at her. "I feel like taking on this girl again."

Etna acted arrogant and sly as she put her hands on her hips. She waved her father's spear at her opponent. "Geez…if you wanted to go out with me, choose a better pick up line!"

Chiriko turned to Gordon with a yo-yo in hand. "Oh well. Then it's you and me funny hair man. This time I have some new Chi tricks so you'd better be ready."

Gordon pounded his fist into his other hand, readying himself for battle. "Well then, may justice lead me to defeat you once again!"

The battlefield was now quiet. Etna, Gordon, Kuroyami, and Chiriko all moved away from Laharl and Setsuna. With the attacks that they may be throwing out, they don't want to be in the way. Both teams glared at each other. Their fierce energy was about to be let out in this final battle. It was time to see what Setsuna was really made of. It was time for Laharl to show Setsuna the strength he had acquired despite the injuries he received from the previous fights. It was time to decide the fate of a certain Fallen Angel. Soon lightning flashed, and the opposing teams collided with powerful strikes. Thus started the final battle between the Overlord and the Dark Messiah.

**

* * *

****Next Episode**

Etna: Now that Gordon and I have been separated from the Prince, we must all fight on our own.

Gordon: My justice will bring us through this battle! I assure you, we won't lose!

Etna: All of us must use all our might to defeat the legends of Great Betrayal: Setsuna, Kuroyami, and Chiriko.

Setsuna: We too shall focus all our power on you three. We won't let you win so easily.

Kuroyami: That's right! You're not gonna escape this one unscathed!

Chiriko: We're gonna win!

Etna: However, these three may still have a few more tricks up their sleeves. Can the three of us defeat them and get Flonne-chan back?

Laharl: Of course! We are gonna take them down and get Flonne back, no matter how hard we have to hit them!

Etna: Next time on **Disgaea: Aku no Tsubasa: True Power Awakened (Messiah of Light and Darkness part 3) **We are going to fight with everything we've got! Come and hit us with your hardest attacks you three legends cuz we're not giving up!

Laharl: …why the hell are we so serious all of a sudden…?

Gordon: …yeah this seriousness almost made me pee my pants…

Flonne: Wow, so we have a serious preview this time?

Laharl: That's right, Fl—WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, LOVE FREAK?

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Just because the preview is serious doesn't mean it's gonna be the end. I still got more to go, so be prepared for the next chapter. Yeah, I decided to give Gordon a big part this time, and in the next chapter. While I don't like him too much, he IS very useful with his Gordon Blitz in the game, not to mention adds a little more humor, though Flonne, Etna, and Laharl already covered that. You'll notice that I have used Japanese for Kuroyami's final attack. If it was translated incorrectly please tell me. The translation is supposed to be 'Serpent's Malice'. There will be other Japanese attacks in the next chapter too so help me out. Btw, if you were all wondering where these characters came from, they're basically my own avatars (Burnfist/Shirai, Darkfist/Yami, and Shockfist/Chibi) fitted into the story. As for where the whole Great Betrayal thing came from…let's just say I'm a big RK fan, alright?

Anyway, next chapter will finally end this entire saga with one incredible battle. Will Laharl defeat Setsuna, and what about the Etna and Gordon against Kuroyami and Chiriko? And what is Setsuna's TRUE purpose? Find out next time!


	10. Laharl's True Power Awakened

**Author's notes: **Finally, this annoying part is over! It took awhile but the three chapters of this mini saga have been finished and now we can head straight towards the end! Did you all take some Tylenol after reading chapter 9? Well, you'd better keep that Tylenol bottle with you because this one will really blow your mind. At the end of this chapter, I will go more in depth with the creation of Setsuna, Kuroyami, and Chiriko and how their story relates to RK. Btw, Cobra your opinion slightly differs from mine. I think that both Aku no Tsubasa and Nostalgic Feelings have their own strengths and weaknesses. You see, Aku no Tsubasa is my first Disgaea fic, not to mention the one story I had in my head for the longest time. Nostalgic Feelings came after reading Illuminet's 'White Flower' fic, though I'm making this fic more original of course. Aku no Tsubasa, I think, has better battles and is more Disgaea-like, which is what I wanted to do. Nostalgic Feelings was more of an original idea spawned from Illuminet's fic that has more romance, more drama, and a more developed story. Since Aku no Tsubasa came first and is heading towards the end already, I'm putting all my attention on it. Don't worry, cuz Nostalgic Feelings will be continued.

Anyway, we left off with Laharl, Etna, and Gordon facing Setsuna, Kuroyami, and Chiriko in a final battle that will completely de-stabilize the Eternal Apocalypse. However, Setsuna and the others still have many hidden secrets ready to be unleashed. Can Laharl return Flonne to this world, and will we finally learn Setsuna's true purpose? Find out by reading onward! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I own Setsuna, Kuroyami, Chiriko, and Miyuki but everyone else belongs to Nippon Ichi and it's associates. After all, I don't own Disgaea as well as Rurouni Kenshin, which parts of the Setsuna's story was based off on. Wish I did though…

**

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****Episode 10: Laharl's True Power Awakened (Messiah of Light and Darkness part 3)**

All it took was one crackle of thunder in the dark skies of the Eternal Apocalypse. That one crackle started the battle that would decide the stronger being as Laharl, the Overlord of the Netherworld, along with his vassal Etna and Slayer Gordon face the Dark Priest Setsuna, allied with Kuroyami, the demon Hitokiri, and Chiriko, the Celestial Angel. Laharl and Setsuna, despite the crackle of thunder, remained still. Their allies on the sidelines strike each other with their weapons with all their might. This battle will not only decide the worth of Laharl's power, but the fate of his Fallen Angel…

On the right side of the field were Chiriko and Gordon. To any onlooker, it would look like a total mismatch, but Chiriko had showed Gordon his power once before with his Chi Gun and Chi Whip. This time, he had a new weapon, the Chi Yo-yo. Gordon once again had to rely on his own strength and the blaster at his side. Defeating the Chi Gun and Chi Whip was difficult, but what made the Chi Yo-yo different from the other two?

"I'm sorry, Gordon-san." Chiriko, the Celestial Angel, said to Gordon. "I'm bound to Setsuna-san's orders, so I cannot let you pass. I mean, I'm not e—"

"Don't worry." Gordon, the Slayer of the Netherworld, said with dignity. "Now that I know what's going on, I know you're not evil. However, I cannot simply stand around and watch like this. I will beat you down with all my might."

"Thank you for understanding, Gordon-san." Chiriko held his yo-yo tightly in his hands, pointing it at Gordon. It was time to see what this new weapon can do. "Now I don't have to hold back!" Chiriko wound up his yo-yo and tossed it at Gordon. Just like the other Chi weapons, the Chi yo-yo was glowing blue and unwinding much farther than a normal yo-yo should.

Seeing that Chiriko was making the same mistake, Gordon smiled as he grabbed the string of the yo-yo. "Haven't you learned from the last battle? Even if it's an energy yo-yo, I can still grab onto it and pull you in!"

"Not if I do this!" Chiriko snapped his fingers. A sparkle of blue covered the string. "Come out Chibi Bunny!" Suddenly, to Gordon's amazement, the yo-yo itself became a fairly big bunny plushie, which had a mind of it's own. That same bunny pulled back and punched Gordon right in the face, and slammed him to the ground. Not giving Gordon any chance to retaliate, Chiriko let the yo-yo go into a sleep and made it travel across the ground. "Chi Yo-yo Flaming Parade!" Soon, the yo-yo started to ignite, and Gordon was once again hit by an attack that looked like the walk-the-dog move. Gordon was able to get up, but he had already taken some big damage, which added to the injuries from earlier. "This Chi Yo-yo is the easiest to manipulate. I can send it just like my Chi Whip, but I can transform it into many things, making it even more unpredictable…as well as more powerful." Now that Chiriko has a new weapon, can Gordon defeat him?

However, he wasn't the only one with problems. On the left side of the field, Etna and Kuroyami were dueling it out once again. From the last two experiences, Etna had learned not to attack Kuroyami until she knew when to attack. However, this was even more difficult now that she was fighting him alone.

"What's the matter, Etna? Afraid to be cut by my blade?" Kuroyami taunted her as he kept darting all over the field. Etna couldn't match him in power if she couldn't hit him, and she knew she wasn't fast enough to catch him. There was only one way to do this, and that was using a clever trick. _He's too fast. The only way he'll move in, is when he comes in to attack. But if I attack, I will be too slow to counter him. Unless… _Etna had an idea, but it was going to be a risky one. She stood still until Kuroyami was fairly close. She took this as her chance to stab him, but all her spear got was air. Worst of all, Kuroyami was now behind her. "Nice try, but I'm too fast for you, Etna. This time I'll make sure you're down for good!" Since Etna had no chance in reacting in time, Kuroyami tried to counter her attack with a stab. Blood spilled out of Etna. Kuroyami was about to laugh…until…

"What are you laughing about? This fight isn't even over yet!" In Etna's hands was a Prinny. Not just any Prinny. It was one of the weak Prinnies she used against Laharl and Flonne several episodes ago (see episode 2)…and Kuroyami had stabbed it with his sword. "Sorry, but you're about to drop dead. See ya!" Etna quickly ran out and ducked for cover. In that instant, the Prinny exploded, and Kuroyami was caught in it. There was no way Kuroyami could've escape unscathed. "Phew…that was close."

"But it's not over yet!" Suddenly, Kuroyami appeared behind her and slashed at her with his sword. The sword, luckily, hit her neck, which was protected by her collar. Etna jumped out of the way and held her spear firmly in her hands. Now that Kuroyami has seen her strategy, there was no way he was going to fall for it again. Etna was in deep trouble.

Meanwhile, Laharl and Setsuna had been staring each other off while the others were fighting. In a critical battle such as this, Laharl and Setsuna couldn't take another step at each other. Both of them did not know what they were facing. Laharl remembered that Setsuna would not be using his talismans. If he were to make a reckless charge, then he would open to a counter. He had already felt Setsuna's thunder punch, and that did a number on him. He had to charge when he was ready. Setsuna, on the other hand, was waiting for Laharl to attack. Laharl's ability, from Setsuna's perspective from the last fight, was outside of his reach. When an opponent goes up against a known master, the master usually waits for his opponent to strike. Laharl's inability to read Setsuna's flow made it harder for him to attack, so the stalemate continued. Then, the second lightning stuck, and soon, the two charged forward with their weapons. Their voices roared through the sky as they closed the distance. Within seconds, they both had their back to each other. Setsuna had small scar on his cheek from Laharl's sword, but Laharl was already on the ground, wincing in pain.

Laharl couldn't understand how this could happen. Normally, a sword would easily overpower a staff…but… "How? I thought I hit him. A blade is supposed to more powerful than a staff…so…"

"It's because of my priest staff." Setsuna said as he held his staff in front of him. The staff's cross had a dark blue glowing color. "The main weapon of a priest, his staff, is always polished and refined to take down any demon. The cross, especially, has imbued with anti-demon powers. A simple touch can burn any demon. Also, ever since I performed the pact, my staff had transformed to include demon powers as well. So now, this staff can take on angels and demons. That is why I can do this!" Setsuna pointed his staff at Laharl. Suddenly, a familiar energy began to charge into it, which shocked Laharl. The holy energy that was gathering in that staff… _It can't be! _"Holy Arrows!" Setsuna had confirmed it. The powerful arrows of light that were coming at Laharl were the same as Flonne's. The thought stunned Laharl, allowing the arrows to hit. What made this even worse was the fact that they came out of the priest staff, causing even more damage to him than Flonne's original attack. "Holy Arrows is an attack that angels, such as Flonne and Chiroko, have learned. As one who once worked for Celestia, I have seen it performed so many times that I can perform myself. You don't stand a chance against me as you are now."

"Stop bluffing. Our duel doesn't end after two attacks." Laharl got up from the ground, but the damage he took from Setsuna only added to the injuries from the previous battles. It won't be long till Laharl falls. "If you wanna see how much power I really have…then stay around and watch as I beat your ass to the ground!" Laharl charged forward, sword in hand.

Setsuna, however, saw this as yet another reckless charge. "Why must you resort to something so useless? Oh well, it's your choice whether or not your life and Flonne-chan's life on the line." Setsuna charged forward with his staff once again. As the distance closed, Setsuna attacked Laharl with his staff. This time, Laharl did not attack with his sword. Instead, he parried Setsuna's attack and grabbed him by the neck. Laharl then took this opportunity to slam Setsuna to the ground.

Without giving Setsuna any time to recover, Laharl pulled back his fist and charged it with his fiery energy. "Blazing Knuckles!" His flaming fist slammed right into Setsuna's face. The force of the attack created a large crater in the ground. Laharl jumped out of it and awaited for a response. There was no voice or sound coming from that crater. _Could that mean Setsuna has been defeated? _However, the presence of demonic energy confirmed it. Setsuna wasn't defeated. In fact, he was just getting started.

"To think you would get so strong in such a short period of time. I'm impressed." Setsuna applauded the young Overlord. "I guess that means that I'll have to be a little more serious this time." This time, Setsuna waved his hand in circular motions, gathering energy the more his hand moved. Thunder crackled through the air as his hand motions gained speed. Then, he raised his hand high in the air and summoned a great power from the sky. "_I call upon the roaring the thunder from the sky. Come down from the heavens and strike my opponent! Chain Lightning!_" Suddenly, a blast of lightning was shot from the sky, heading towards Laharl. Laharl was quick to dodge the attack, but as the lightning hit the ground, it bounced and continued to bounce about. However, unlike the similar talisman attack from last time, the Chain Lightning was bouncing around wildly.

Something was awkward about this attack and Laharl knew it. However, he couldn't make out what Setsuna was doing with a lightning attack that just keeps bouncing all over the field. It didn't even look like he had any control over it. Laharl was unsure of how to react, so he just kept watching the lightning ball jump all over the field. The only change that Laharl noticed was that it kept moving faster, but it was moving everywhere but where he was standing. _I could wait and counter Setsuna, but that might be what he wants. If I stand my ground, he could probably blast me with a long range attack, which could push me into that lightning attack. I can't let that happen. I guess there's only one thing I can do: hit him from long range with Overlord's Wrath! _With that in mind, Laharl began to summon the power of hell pyre out of the ground. "Overlord's—!" As he raised his arms to summon the fireballs, he felt a dramatic surge of energy. Then, within a few seconds, a blast of lightning shot out and sent punishing blast of energy on him, disrupting his attack. In turned out that the Chain Lightning attack did hit him, but Setsuna never had any control over it. _How did it…?_

"There's a reason why it's called 'Chain Lightning'." Setsuna explained. "The lightning I cast **chains** itself to any build up of energy, so anyone who performs any type of energy attack will be disrupted by the lightning. However, by using Chain Lightning, I too am susceptible to the attack, therefore all I can do is wait until my opponent reacts to it or use only physical attacks until someone sets it off." Setsuna raised his hand once again to summon his power. "Chain Lightning!" Setsuna summoned his lightning attack once again. This time Laharl was more of aware of what it did, so he charged at Setsuna with his sword. Little did he know, **that **was exactly what he was waiting for. As Laharl leaped over the sparkling lightning, he raised his sword above his head, hoping to land something on him. Just as he was about to reach him, Setsuna thrust his mighty staff at Laharl's body. The cross on top of his staff grazed Laharl's side, forcing blood out of the now wounded area. Laharl collapsed onto the ground a few feet away from Setsuna. Not only was the cross that hit him nearly a blade, the cross itself was anti-demon, dealing much more damage to him than any sword or axe. Setsuna looked down on his fallen opponent. He held out a hand, and began to chant a soothing prayer. "_May your soul enter the inevitable circle of reincarnation and…_" However, Setsuna stopped the prayer midway and put up his staff. The staff blocked the incoming sword, but the attack was powerful enough to knock Setsuna a couple of feet.

"Stop thinking like you have already won this battle." Laharl groaned as he struggled to get up on his feet. However, once on his feet, he began to stagger a bit. The two other battles took a toll on Laharl. It was already hard enough for him to stand. Yet, Laharl refused to give up at all. "I'm not giving up…not until we get Flonne back."

"I'll say this again. Stay down if you don't want to get injured. You're not getting Flonne-chan back if you die so why don't you give it up now."

"Shut up! I'm not losing to you, and I'm not going to give up on Flonne! This time I'll make sure I beat your ass to the ground!" Laharl roared at his opponent. A sudden burst of energy began to surge throughout Laharl's body. Almost anyone could feel it, especially Setsuna. He could tell that Laharl was now gaining power once again. Of course, Laharl would need a lot more than power and rage to defeat Setsuna. With Laharl back to his senses, he picked up his sword and rushed towards Setsuna. On his way towards Setsuna, he began to charge his fiery energy into his fist.

Setsuna didn't think highly of this attack. He knew that even if Laharl could reach him in time, the Chain Lightning was still on the field and could zap him afterwards. As Laharl closed in, Setsuna pulled up his staff to block the attack. _He hasn't learned. Looks like I have no choice then… _Laharl brought down his sword on Setsuna, but it was block by his staff. Now that Laharl was off guard, Setsuna proceeded with countering his attack. Just as his attack was about to hit, Laharl spun his body to the side, causing Setsuna's attack to miss. While Laharl twisted his body to the side, Setsuna noticed one other thing: the Chain Lightning attack was coming for him. That's when Setsuna realized what Laharl was actually doing. Laharl wasn't necessarily charging energy to attack Setsuna. He was using the energy to make the Chain Lightning follow him across the field. The sword attack was only an attempt to distract him, so that Laharl could spin to the side and let the Lightning strike Setsuna. He couldn't believe that Laharl was able to pull off such a trick. _He has quite a talent as an Overlord. He really is Krichevskoy's son…_

Just as Laharl had planned, the Chain Lightning flew by him and hit Setsuna with its powerful blast. However, Laharl wasn't just going to let the Lightning do all the work. With his fist still burning, he slammed his fist into Setsuna. "BLAZING KNUCLKES!" This time, when his attack slammed into Setsuna, he made sure that his fist drove downward and into the ground. When his fist made impact with the ground, a fiery column shot out and engulfed Setsuna in flames, which propelled into the air. By this time, Setsuna had noticed a great increase in Laharl's power. Both the power of his punch and fury of his flames were even greater than when he first saw him. That's when Setsuna realized what was going on. _It has awakened. The true power that sleeps in him has finally has awaken. Finally, I get to see the true power of the bond._ While Setsuna was still flailing through the air, Laharl took this as his chance to bring out his great balls of fire. He rose his hands into the air, and soon, there were millions of fireballs surrounding Setsuna. Then, with one wave of his hands, Laharl commanded his fireballs to destroy Setsuna. "OVERLORD'S WRATH!" With no way of dodging the air, Setsuna took the hit. The vicious fireballs hit him all at once and exploded into a massive supernova. When the smoke cleared, Setsuna was falling head first back to Earth. Laharl thought he had finally defeated him…until Setsuna flipped onto his feet and landed perfectly onto the rocky ground. However, Setsuna had taken heavy damage from that attack, making him fall onto one knee while using his staff to keep him up. It seemed like the two were dead even at this point.

"I have really underestimated you, haven't I?" Setsuna said as he struggled to get up with his staff. He pulled himself back onto his feet and pointed the staff at Laharl. His deep amber eyes were glowing ominously as he stared at Laharl. "This time, I'm not going to hold back. You'd better be prepared for one wrong move may leave you with more than just a couple of injuries." Now Setsuna's body began to surge with energy. His power had been magnified and was about to be unleashed on Laharl.

Now that Setsuna wasn't holding back, Laharl would have to put all his energy into defeating him. There was no backing out now. Laharl had to pull out all the strings. "Neither am I. I won't show you any mercy, Setsuna! I will get Flonne back, not matter what you do!" Both their energies had been magnified. They were overflowing with energy. And they were not going to hold back. This was it. Only one was going to walk out alive. Even with this in mind, both Laharl and Setsuna remained confident in their ability. They were going to put everything into this battle. "Let's go!" In that instant, the two charged at each other. The true battle has begun.

Meanwhile…

"Chi Celestial Orbit!" Gordon was already facing certain death on the sidelines as the fury of Chiriko's yo-yo lashed out at him from every direction. While Laharl was fighting Setsuna, Gordon took on the child angel, Chiriko. At first glance, it would seem that Gordon had an advantage over Chiriko. Gordon was taller and stronger than the little tyke. However, Chiriko's energy was greater than Gordon's by a huge margin, and his own weapons allowed him nearly unlimited control of it. Despite his injuries, Gordon wasn't going to give up. He staggered to his feet, breathing heavily. His injuries were fairly severe, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He pulled out his gun and tried to blast Chiriko, but Chiriko's yo-yo spun a shield for him and then lashed out at him again. Despite that, Gordon got up and charged at Chiriko with all his might. "Please Gordon-san, stay down." Gordon wouldn't budge. He just kept charging head first into Chiriko. Seeing that Gordon was just too stubborn to listen, Chiriko decided to attack him again. "Chi Celestial Orbit!" The yo-yos once again came lashing at him. However, Gordon did not stop, he just plowed right through his beating. Chiriko couldn't believe that Gordon would push himself all the way through his yo-yo net.

Gordon was now within range to give Chiriko a crushing blow. Because Chiriko was small, the damage from Gordon's attack would be enough to almost knock him out. Gordon pulled back his fist, ready to slam it right into Chiriko's face. "Gordon P—!" Just as he was about to punch Chiriko, his chi yo-yo and chi whip grabbed his legs and arms, restraining all of Gordon's movement.

The chi whip and yo-yo that grabbed Gordon pulled him towards Chiriko until he stopped a few inches in front of him. When he was stopped, he felt something hit his chest. When he looked down, he was shocked to see that Chiriko's yo-yo and whip were bounded to the chi gun, and that the chi gun's barrel was now right on his chest. "This is my ultimate attack. Once my chi whip and chi yo-yo ensnares you, all I have to do is unload all my energy into the chi gun. There's no way of escaping this, Gordon-san. Now please stay down, for the last time." The Chi Gun was now glowing a brilliant blue color. The energy that was being charged into the gun was enormous, enough to put out Gordon for good. There was no way Gordon could escape this one. It was all over for our Slayer of the Netherworld. "Buki Chi no Ougi: Chi Seki no Arashi!" There was only one thing left for Chiriko to do: pull the trigger. Within seconds, Gordon would be finished. Suddenly…

"Defender Team Combo: Thursday Smasher Cannon!" Just as Chiriko was about to pull the trigger, an enormous blast hit him in the back, which not only disrupted his attack, it freed Gordon from the whip and yo-yo snare. Gordon didn't know who saved him from certain death, but the voices he heard from a nearby mountain made him realize who his saviors were.

"Gordon, are you alright? Please give us a sign!"

"You look like crap, Gordon. You're just lucky we were here to help."

"Blip beep. I am relieved Captain Gordon. Your justice has served you once again."

Gordon couldn't help but flash his trademark smile. Standing on the mountain were his three comrades. "Good work, Jennifer, Kurtis, Thursday. Now allow me to finish him off!"

Jennifer was relieved. Despite all the injuries he received, Gordon was still alive and willing to finish what he had started. Jennifer had unwavering faith in the Slayer of the Netherworld. "Go get 'em Gordon!"

With his comrades cheering him on the sides, Gordon rushed towards Chiriko again. Chiriko, seeing that Gordon was coming for him, tried to ensnare him again with his whip and yo-yo, but Gordon simply hit them all away. Gordon was already within range to finish off Chiriko. Before he did anything, he smirked at Chiriko and said, "You may have been my enemy, but I admire your courage and your utmost loyalty to your master, Chiriko. I'm glad to have fought an adversary such as you. Now it is time to finish this! Gordon Blitz!" All Gordon needed was his first punch to connect, which it did. In that instant, Chiriko was battered from all sides. Each punch, each kick grew with in strength and added more damage to the attack. The flurry of hard hitting attacks was endless, and Chiriko could not escape it. Finally, Gordon sent Chiriko flying with a powerful uppercut, and took out his blaster. With its power charged to the fullest, Gordon shot a devastating blast at Chiriko. Chiriko was then engulfed in a powerful blast. There was no way for Chiriko to continue. He had lost, but even then, he was still smiling. Before he disappeared, he said some parting words. _Gordon-san, you—no, you and your friends are incredibly strong. She really was right. The power of your friendship has grown so powerful that you four, together, defeated me. Please continue to fight in the name of justice, Gordon-san… _After his last words, Chiriko had disappeared. He was no longer in the sky. The Celestial Angel had been defeated.

Gordon smiled. The battle with Chiriko was over. Now all he had to do was put all his faith on the Overlord. "Finally, he's finished. Even if I was aided by my friends, I'm glad to have fought an opponent like you, Celestial Angel. Etna, Overlord…may Flonne's love guide you defeat your adversaries…for now…I need rest…" After that, Gordon's eyes began to close, and soon he collapsed to the ground.

Jennifer, Thursday, and Kurtis rushed to the aid of the Slayer. Fortunately, when Jennifer checked Gordon's condition, she breathed a sigh of relief. "He's alive…he just needs rest."

Kurtis nodded in reply. "Yeah, Gordon went through three battles, and put everything in every one of them. He definitely deserves it."

"I shall aid Jennifer in Gordon's recovery, blip beep."

"Thank you, two." Jennifer looked down at the unconscious hero, whose head was lying on her lap. Even with his body battered and lashed all over, there was still a smile on his face, the same goofy heroic smile that always makes Jennifer happy, because despite everything he's gone through, he always seemed to smile. Jennifer couldn't be any happier. "Please rest…my hero…"

On the other side, Etna was having even more trouble with Kuroyami, the demonic legend of the 'Great Betrayal', than Gordon, who fought Chiriko. When Gordon was fighting Chiriko, Gordon had greater physical strength than Chiriko and more stamina, which allowed him to brave through the child's attacks. Etna had absolutely no advantage over Kuroyami. Her only possible advantage was the range of her attacks, but with Kuroyami moving at such a furious speed, she could never land a single hit. She was in deep trouble from the very beginning.

"Admit your defeat now Etna! You have no chance at defeating me!" Kuroyami exclaimed as he darted all over the field. Occasionally, he'd nick Etna with his blade just to annoy her.

Etna's injuries, though not damaging, were already adding up. Besides Laharl, she had taken the most damage out of the three from the last two battles. Even though they were given some time to rest, none of them had healed. In addition, Kuroyami kept nicking her with his blade, which gave her another scar or tattered a part of her outfit. With Kuroyami moving so fast, there was absolutely no way that she could hit him. _Maybe if I annihilate him with an incredibly strong attack, I can defeat him…but can I get a shot at him if he keeps moving so fast? Wait…maybe if I… _She had an idea, but this one was also very risky. She was a little hesitant in using it, but she didn't have a choice. She had to take the risk or be killed. _…to think that I'm actually gonna be using Gordon's idea…but it might work. _Etna, just like Gordon in the other battles, stood still and let Kuroyami dart all over the field.

Kuroyami scoffed at Etna's foolish attempt to catch him. "Fool! Even if you could counter, do you think you could turn in time?" Despite Kuroyami's taunts, Etna remained perfectly calm and composed from where she was standing. She simply waited for Kuroyami to make his move. "So you won't budge? Fine, then I'll have to put you out of you misery!" Kuroyami charged at Etna, with his sword in hand, ready to finish her off. Just as he was about to reach Etna, she turned and swiped at Kuroyami with her spear. As expected, Kuroyami easily dodged it, and was now behind Etna. He rushed in to slice her…only to realize that he had been stabbed in the stomach. "Wha…but how? You tried to swipe me with your spear! You couldn't have turned fast enough!"

"Yeah, I swiped you with my spear alright! The butt of my spear!" Etna was right. She was holding her spear incorrectly the entire time. When Kuroyami rushed forward the first time, she tried to whack him, but instead of using the blade, she tried to hit him with the shaft. When he moved behind her, she tricked him into rushing forward and stabbed him with the spear. "Looks like I won, Kuroyami! Give it up!"

"Hehehe…so you really think you won? Well, get this: I've been so used to this type of pain!" To Etna's surprise, Kuroyami easily pulled out the spear. He was now holding the blade over his head, which was dripping with blood. "You see, the 'Great Betrayal' was a time of great destruction and chaos. As one who has lived through such a dark era, I have become used to pain such as this. It will take more than a stab to defeat me, I assure you. And just so you can't stab me again…" Kuroyami took out sword and sheared the spear in half. Etna's most treasured weapon has been split into two pieces. _No…father's spear… _"Without this thing, you're powerless against me! You may have your energy attacks, but without any way to hit me, you have no chance! Face it Etna, you've lost!"

"No, not yet!" Etna charged at Kuroyami, only to be battered by the sheath of his sword. She fell to the ground. She had become so weak. It was hard to see Kuroyami on top of her, with his blade already caressing her cheek. The cold blade sent a chill up Etna's spine as it kept caressing her cheek over and over. She didn't know why Kuroyami was doing this. Rather than take her life, he just kept sending that chilling sensation, which made Etna feel sick. "You're so disgusting…"

"Don't worry, I won't kill you just yet. You were one of the few people who actually stabbed me. In fact, you're the only girl who has ever wounded me like that. I just want you to feel my sword before you leave this world…besides, don't you love this feeling?" Etna could not respond. The feeling of the blade was just overwhelming to her. Kuroyami, after caressing Etna with his sword one last time, raised it above his head, ready to give her the final impalement. "You really were worth fighting. Now die!" Suddenly, Kuroyami felt something grab his arms. Then, he felt something grab his legs. Soon, his entire body had been restrained. Etna, whose eyes were closed the entire time, kept wondering what happened to Kuroyami. _Why did he stop…?_ When her vision began to clear, she looked up at where Kuroyami was standing. To Etna's surprise, there were about fifty demons on top of him. They had restrained all his movements, preventing him from even touching Etna. As her vision cleared even more, she realized what kind of demons they were.

"Zombies…?" That's when Etna heard a familiar voice.

"Etna-san!" Etna easily recognized that voice. She turned around, and saw the familiar pink haired demon racing towards her.

"Aramis, you're alright!" Etna almost cried. Aramis had taken severe damage earlier during their first fight with Chiriko. Now, he had fully recovered, making Etna feel relieved.

"Yup, and ready to help you finish him off!"

It was then that Etna's trademark grin returned. Yup, she had a plan. "Good, cuz I got a way to finish him. Do you mind if your zombies get hurt in the process?"

Aramis shook his head and smiled at Etna in response. "Not at all. Just help me put them back together."

"I'll make sure I do." Etna then turned to Kuroyami. Her hand was now glowing pink. "Kuroyami, you may have destroyed my father's spear, but thanks to Aramis, you're trapped. I'm gonna finish this once and for all! Chaos Impact!" Etna then made a swipe with her hand, and soon, millions of energy arrows were shot at Kuroyami. Since he couldn't move, he had no choice but to take the hit.

However, Kuroyami began to laugh. It seems that the arrows hardly even touched him. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Is this what you meant by finishing me off? How pathetic! Wait, WHAT THE?" Before he realized it, Etna was holding an enormous energy ball in her hands. Its size was almost greater than a meteor, and its power was enormous. If that hit Kuroyami, he would be defeated for sure. However, his grin didn't leave him. "You're not going to hit me with that, Etna. Once I kill off all these zombies, I'll be able to move again!" Kuroyami broke his arm free from one of the zombies and cut off each and every one of the zombie's legs. Without any feet to hold them to the ground, Kuroyami was free to move. However, he still couldn't budge. "What? I thought I destroyed their legs, how can they?"

"How about checking out the zombies before you pass out?"

"Checking the zo—oh no…" Oh yes. When Etna threw the energy arrows at Kuroyami, she wasn't aiming at him at all. What she was aiming for was anything that could keep him where he was: meaning Aramis' zombie's chest as well as some of his clothes. It was over for Kuroyami. There was no way of escaping Etna's attack.

With the energy sphere at it's fullest, Etna smirked for a few seconds at Kuroyami and winked at him. "Sorry, but there's someone else on my mind, Kuro-kun! Now…DROP DEAD!" Etna, using her remaining power, sent her energy sphere flying at Kuroyami. Kuroyami couldn't escape the attack. Etna's Chaos Impact crashed into Kuroyami. The damage it caused to him was enough to finally finish the battle. However, Kuroyami began to grin, chuckle, and then finally his laugh crackled through the air. _Hehehe…HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Well done, Etna! Your power has indeed exceeded my expectations! I accept defeat to you! But prepared for I may come back…and when I do…I will make you mine…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! _When the smoke cleared from the attack, Kuroyami was no more. What was left were the two pieces of Etna's staff.

Now that the battle was finished, Etna went over and picked up the two pieces of her spear. A small smile crept onto her face, remembering Kuroyami's last words as the wind blew through her flowing hair red-pink hair. "Well Kuro-kun…next time you face me…come up with a better pick up line…" Suddenly, Etna fell backwards. It was expected, especially after three tremendous battles. Luckily, Aramis caught her before she could hit the ground. "Don't worry, Aramis. Just let me rest. Right now…all I want to see…is Laharl-sama beating Setsuna's ass to the ground."

In the middle of the battlefield, the battle between Laharl and Setsuna had was dead even. After Setsuna had announced that he would more serious in this battle, both combatants tried to overpower each other with each ferocious attack.

"_Shadows of darkness send your demonic archer and impale my opponent! Demonic Arrow!_" Setsuna pointed his staff at Laharl, and in that instant, a dark version of Holy Arrows shot out at Laharl. The attack not only inflicted Laharl with major damage, but it sent him flying into the air. However, the grin on Laharl's face only indicated that the air had only given him an advantage.

"Blazing Knuckles!" With his fist engulfed in powerful flames, Laharl dived towards Setsuna and slammed his fist into Setsuna and into the ground, which engulfed Setsuna in more damaging flames. As Laharl recovered from the impact the ground, he swatted Setsuna, who was still engulfed in the flames, with his sword. Setsuna tumbled and staggered backward, but recovered from the attack.

"_Bring down let your judgment rain from the sky and punish the wicked! Chain Lightning!_" Using his powers, Setsuna once again brought down his homing lightning attack.

Since this was the third time Setsuna used the attack, Laharl knew how to handle this. "You showed me this attack twice already! I won't be falling for any of your tricks!" Laharl simply charged at Setsuna and swiped him with his sword. Setsuna blocked it, and soon it became an all-out brawl. Laharl kept swinging his sword at Setsuna, but was on his guard, for he knew that any damage done by Setsuna's staff can and will cause major damage to him. Setsuna kept guarding against Laharl's attack.

At one point, Setsuna tried to thrust his staff at Laharl, but Laharl quickly dodged it and tried to counter. However, when Laharl charged at him again, Setsuna used the butt of the staff and tossed him near the Chain Lightning. Fortunately for Laharl, he was able to stop himself from reaching the Chain Lightning. Now Setsuna was holding his staff near the bottom, as if his staff were a long sword. He then began to chant again. "_Oh holiest of warriors, lend me your power to conquer evil once more! Celestial Ragnarok!_" Suddenly, the staff began to emanate a tremendous amount of energy. That energy engulfed the staff, and soon, the energy resembled that of a humongous sword. With this newly created energy sword, Setsuna rushed towards Laharl.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't you remember the Chain Lightning you cast earlier? You're about to get z—GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" It wasn't Setsuna that was zapped, but Laharl. Because Laharl was the closest to the Chain Lightning when Setsuna charged up his powers for Celestial Ragnarok, Chain Lightning was rushing towards Setsuna as expected. However, Laharl was in the way during charge of energy, and so ended up hitting him instead. Since the Chain Lightning paralyzed Laharl, Setsuna took his chance and strike him with his energy blade. The attack caused major damage to Laharl's body as he flew several threw the air. Just as Laharl was about to hit the ground… "OVERLORD'S WRATH!" Even while moving through the air, Laharl was able to summon his demonic hell pyre attack from the ground. The crimson fireballs all made contact with Setsuna and exploded, causing damage to Setsuna. Not giving him any room to recover, Laharl summoned all his powers for his ultimate attack. "METEOR IMPACT!" Suddenly, giant meteors began to rain from the sky and were headed towards where Setsuna was. Laharl jumped onto one of the meteors, and rode it down towards Setsuna. Laharl put all his power into this one, hoping that it would be enough to bring Setsuna down. However…

"Celestial Ultima Wave!" Suddenly, a white beam of light shot out from Setsuna's staff and shot at Laharl. The attack made contact with Laharl and caused extreme damage to him while destroying the meteor he was riding. However, this neglected to destroy the other meteors, which all crashed onto Setsuna. Laharl fell from the sky and onto the ground. Luckily for him, he was still able to get up, but he was now breathing heavily after facing Setsuna's furious attacks. Setsuna, who has also taken heavy damage, was also breathing heavily, using the staff to support him. Everyone who was watching were amazed at the level of power these two were fighting at.

"These guys are unbelievable…" Aramis said in awe of all this.

"Both of them have so much power. After surviving all those attacks, I'm surprised that they're all still alive…" Jennifer noted, while placing her hand on Gordon. He was still knocked out from the last battle.

"Blip beep…Thursday is unable to scan power of the Overlord and Setsuna. Their power might overload system."

"But it looks like they're down to their last breath." Kurtis noted. He was right. Judging from all that was going on, it seemed like they couldn't go on. With all the energy they had, they probably had enough for one final attack. "Could this mean that they're even?"

"I wish I could say that…but no…" Etna said with a grim look on her face. "Even though it looks like Setsuna was going all-out, he hasn't shown his ultimate attack. The Prince, however, has already shown him Meteor Impact, which could mean that Setsuna has one more trick up his sleeve." While no one wanted to believe it, what Etna said was true. Setsuna could still be hiding something. There was still a chance that Laharl could lose.

After catching his breath, Setsuna stared at Laharl. Laharl was almost done catching his breath. Suddenly, Setsuna began to smile. It wasn't a malicious grin either. It was his usual calm smile. "Laharl-kun, I must say that your strength is impressive. To think you could draw out so much power in so little time. But I want to ask you this: do you know where that strength comes from?"

Laharl didn't know how to answer. It was unusual for Setsuna to ask him such a question before facing a life-and-death situation. In addition, Laharl himself didn't know where he acquired so much power. His sword was still the same and he hasn't learned any new attacks, yet his power grew over three non-stop battles. Seeing that he had no answer, he replied, "No…I don't…"

"Well this is my belief, but I believe that your powers sleep deep within your heart and awakens when triggered by something. To me, power sleeps in the heart and awakens in the darkest hour. Do you know what that is?"

"No."

"It's your love for your friends…and your driving will to protect others."

Laharl couldn't believe it. There was no way he, the hater of all love, could be driven by love itself. "N-no way…I'M A DEMON! I'M SUPPOSED TO HATE LOVE!"

"Just because you're a demon doesn't mean you're supposed to hate love." Setsuna told him. "Deny it all you want, Laharl-kun. Your power awakens every time someone is in danger, especially Flonne-chan. Whether it was against Seraph Lamington or Overlord Priere or me, every time Flonne-chan was in dangerous, the power deep within your heart woke up and allowed you defeat those two as well as nearly defeat me."

"How did you—?"

"Know? Let's just say that I have some really big contacts on my side." Suddenly, Setsuna's eyes became serious again as he held his staff in front of him. A new type of power was surging throughout his body. "My powers also come from deep within the heart. However, the power in my heart is always awake. Do you want to know why? It is because of the true goal of my mission: my atonement."

"Atonement?"

"There was a grave sin I committed during the Great Betrayal…one that I shall never forget…that is why my mission is so important to me…and that is why I will defeat you now…" Setsuna began to spin his staff in front of him. The more it turned, the faster the spin became. "This attack has rarely been seen by anyone. I have used it only once, and its summoning power is too long, but it is definitely my most powerful attack. The only time I used this was in my battle against Kuroyami during the Great Betrayal, so prepare yourself for this!" Setsuna began to hear the voices in his head again. It was the voices of Chiriko and Kuroyami.

"_YOU'RE GOING TO USE THAT ATTACK! THAT ATTACK IS TOO POWERFUL!"_

'_Setsuna-san, it's too dangerous for both you and Laharl-kun! What if you accidentally kill Laharl-kun!'_

_It's a risk I'm willing to take…a risk to see if those four are right…Lamington-san, Krichevskoy-san, Rayne-san…and Flonne-chan. I will see this through. I will see how strong this bond of theirs is._

'_But what if—!'_

_Chiriko-kun, you remember what she and I said: his love awakens his true power. If that is true then maybe he'll survive this. Now it is time to perform my ultimate attack. _Setsuna kept spinning the staff with his one hand, and placed his other hand near his face, as if he were praying. Soon, he began to say one final prayer. "_The origin of all power, lend me your aid once more to vanquish my opponent. The four worlds bring out the origin of power. Celestia, let your holy power shine of me and bring forth embodiment of judgment…_"

Laharl didn't know what to make out of this. Setsuna was just standing there, just saying some kind of prayer. Even if it was a powerful attack, it was taking too long to recite the full incantation. _Maybe he accepted defeat and is now praying. Well, here's my chance to defeat him now! _Laharl charged forward with all his might and swiped at him with his sword. Setsuna didn't move at all. He just kept spinning his staff and chanting away as he let Laharl hit him. However, it didn't look like it had any effect on Setsuna. In fact, he was still praying. "There's no way his body got that strong! How did my attack not effect him?"

That's when Etna realized what Setsuna was doing. It was no simple prayer. It was something that may cost Laharl his life. "Prince, you have to hit him out of that!"

"What do you mean? He's just praying cuz he's admitting defeat!"

"Are you stupid or something? Don't you remember what he said? He said the reason why he uses talisman is because his more powerful non-talisman attacks take waaay too long because they need immense summoning power!"

"So then that means!"

"That's right! He really is using his most powerful attack!" Etna was right. Setsuna would only pray and chant just to perform an attack. Since this attack needed a longer chant, this was going to be his most powerful one.

Laharl need to hit him out of it, and fast. He kept swiping and punching Setsuna, but he continued to stand, unfazed by any of Laharl's attacks. "What the hell is going on? How are my attacks not working?"

"He must be taking the hits and trying endure them!" Etna exclaimed. "He's not going to let you him out of it!"

"Well if you can endure all that, then try and take this! Blazing Knuckles!" Laharl punched his fiery fist attack, yet it did absolutely nothing to stop Setsuna. Setsuna continued to chant. "How's that possible?"

"_Earth, let your lush green land and might elements come forth and aid me. The power of man's great technology concentrate your power on me to destroy my adversaries…_"

"OVERLORD'S WARTH!" Laharl let loose the great balls of hell pyre onto Setsuna. They all made contact, but even after all those attacks; Setsuna remained unfazed, continuing to chant. "Is it even possible to get him out this attack?"

"_The great dark world known as the Netherworld, cast away your differences become one, both normal and alternate. Give me your unstable powers. Let your dark powers consume me and bring forth the Armageddon._"

Laharl needed to knock Setsuna out of this attack and fast. If this was truly Setsuna's greatest attack, then Laharl was in deep trouble. However, after hitting with so many hard-hitting attacks, Setsuna didn't even budge. There was only one thing left that Laharl could use: his ultimate attack. "METEOR IMPACT!" High in the air were meteors raining onto the field. Laharl jumped onto one of the fiery rocks drove it as hard as he could into Setsuna. The other meteors followed with him as he obliterated the field. Rocks, dust, and all other debris scattered all over the battlefield. As he landed, Laharl looked into the smoke to see if Setsuna was still performing the attack. As the smoke began clear, Laharl couldn't believe his eyes: Setsuna was still standing with his staff twirling, still chanting. Not even Laharl's ultimate attack could make him budge.

"_Great souls of purgatory. Those still looking for the path reincarnation come forth and grant me your power. Allow me to gain your former power in the form of energy. Now all four powers return to origin. Open the seal that will end all battles. Bring all your power forth into thy seal and obliterate my opponent! KYUUSEISHSU NO YAMI NO OUGI: SEKI NO SEISHIN SUETSUKATA!_" Now that the entire incantation has been completed, Setsuna threw his staff into the air. Suddenly, the staff began to give off a strange aura that vibrated throughout the entire Eternal Apocalypse. The aura soon turned into a giant seal that glowed a brilliant gold color. The seal actually looked like gate, a gate that was holding enormous amounts of energy. A sudden chill rushed through Laharl and everyone else's spines. This attack could really kill many beings in a single hit. No wonder Setsuna didn't want to use it. The seal, along with the staff, floated in front of Setsuna, gathering as much energy as it could. "Laharl-kun, I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to leave. As you can see, the energy gathered in here is too enormous for you to handle. The Kyuuseishu no Yami no Ougi: Seki no Seishin Suetsukata is strong enough to almost take down Lamington as well as Krichevskoy. I can stop it now if you want, but you must give up on Flonne-chan. Are you willing to accept my offer?"

Laharl looked down to the ground and remained totally silent. He couldn't take on that massive energy, and if he died it would be a waste. He looked over to where his vassals were. Aramis, Jennifer, Kurtis, and Thursday all nodded their heads. Even if he was occasionally a mean Overlord, there was no way they wanted him to die. In addition, if he died, Flonne would have to suffer nothing but guilt. Laharl looked at Gordon, who was still unconscious. He had risked his life in his three battles against Setsuna, Kuroyami, and Chiriko. It's amazing that he was still alive. Laharl then looked at Etna. She did not have any response. Her face was shadowed, covering her saddened expression. The wind was blowing through her freed hair, which was flowing wildly. No one could tell if she wanted him to risk his life or not. Then, the thought of the one person he was fighting for, one who had continually risked her life for him. The one he promised to risk his life for. His one true angel, the one that always smiles for him. _Flonne, lov…_

_Laharl-san!_

"NO!" Everyone gasped. Laharl had rejected Setsuna's offer to be given mercy. Even after witnessing the immense power of Setsuna's ultimate attack, he was not going to give up. "I'm not giving up! I'm not giving up on Flonne! Never ever! I'm going to beat your ass to the ground until I get her back!"

"Has the last minutes of your life clouded your head?" Setsuna snapped back at him. He felt that Laharl had finally lost it, and was now in total denial. "You're facing certain death right now. Are you that foolish to risk your life on someone you're not going to never getting back?"

"I don't care what you say, you damn priest!" Laharl grasped his sword tightly in his hands. The burning look in his eyes showed nothing but determination. A powerful aura had surrounded his entire body. "I'm never gonna give up on Flonne! I don't care if it kills me! I will get her back!"

"I see…then I guess I have no choice…" Setsuna placed his hands together, as if he were praying. He then gave the final command. "_Gate of unyielding power, open and let my opponent know your awesome might!_" With those very words, the seal opened up like a gate. As it opened, Laharl and the others saw nothing but white light coming from the seal. The energy coming from it was immense. There was no way anyone could have that much energy. Setsuna gave the final order. "Fire!" In that instant, a brilliant beam of energy was streaming towards Laharl. Laharl made no move, no attempt to dodge the attack.

Everyone on the sidelines was trying to get him to budge but Laharl wouldn't listen to any of them.

"OVERLORD, GET OUT OF THERE!"

"LAHARL-CHAN!"

"…don't die…Laharl-sama…"

_Die? Are you kidding me? I'm not going to die. Not until I get her back…after all…_

'_Your love for me is great…Laharl-san…'_

_Fl—_

'_You have truly understood the power of love…please let that power aid you in your darkest hour…'_

_Heh…I still hate love…but for once…I will bring love into this battle Flonne…for it was love…that led me…to you…_

In that instant, everything in front of Setsuna was engulfed in his power beam attack. All of Laharl's vassals were luckily on the sidelines, but Laharl himself had taken the hit. Nothing could be seen as the white light blinded everyone's vision. Setsuna's ultimate attack truly was the ultimate attack. There was no telling what was destroyed at this moment.

After nearly a minute, the light finally waned along with the energy. When the energy finally waned, the gate disappeared, and Setsuna's staff fell toward Setsuna. As he caught it, he looked over at where Laharl was standing earlier. There was deep ravines caused by the attack and rocks and dust were everywhere. When the dust finally cleared…there was nothing there. Absolutely nothing. _So he did die…_

On the sidelines, none of the vassals could speak. The couldn't believe that Setsuna's attack could do so much destruction and, after all that, kill Laharl. The attack must've been so powerful that it destroyed his entire body, so that there was nothing left.

"Laharl-chan…"

"Prince…Laharl-sama…" Etna couldn't hold back her tears. The demon she promised Krichevskoy to protect was no more. Of everyone there, she had felt the most pain. After everything she's done…Laharl was now dead. "LAHARL-SAMA!" Then…

"Geez…Etna stop crying already! You look so stupid when you cry!" Everyone gasped, especially Etna and Setsuna. Setsuna turned around again to see where Laharl was. Setsuna kept looking around until his eyes shot wide open. Everyone tried to see where he was looking. They looked up and none of them could be any more amazed: Laharl was coming down from the sky with probably one of the biggest meteors he ever had. Following behind him were other large meteors, ready to smash into Setsuna. Laharl had pulled off a miracle. He had actually lived through Setsuna's ultimate attack.

Etna wiped her tears and began to shout at Laharl. "DENKA NO BAKA (Prince, you idiot)! YOU SCARED ME FOR A MINUTE!"

"Heh…save your scolding for later! We have a priest to finish off!" Etna clearly agreed with Laharl, and so everyone who remained cheered him on. Laharl then turned his attention to Setsuna. He was ready to end this battle once and for all. "Setsuna, you've put up a good fight, but now you have wasted nearly all your energy. Face it, dark priest! You lose!"

Setsuna knew Laharl was right. With all that energy wasted, there was no way he had the power to counter Laharl's ultimate attack. All he could do was take the hit. Despite that, Setsuna could not stop smiling. It was almost as if he expected to lose. He then looked up to Laharl and finally exclaimed to him, "You are indeed very powerful! I succeed to you Overlord Laharl! Now finish this!"

"With pleasure!" Laharl's meteor was now coming down at Setsuna an extremely fast rate. There was no stopping this fiery inferno. This truly was the end of the duel. "METEOR IMPACT!"

As the great molten rock of hellpyre reached Setsuna, he began to talk to himself. He was almost happy that Laharl was going to kill him. _Laharl-kun, your love for Flonne-chan has really brought you through this entire ordeal. I'm sorry for causing so much to you, but please know that you have passed my test. Now you have one more test. Do you have the heart to pass it? _Soon, the molten rocks collided with Setsuna, causing a fiery uproar throughout the already unstable Eternal Apocalypse. The blaze of the explosion that ensued could be seen from afar, where two familiar demons were watching.

"Did he…?"

"Yes, Laharl defeated Setsuna. Setsuna must've really pushed himself so hard just to test him, but he was able to do it, and Laharl has passed test."

"No, I know that. I'm glad that he was able to defeat him but…"

"Don't worry. I'm sure he's alright."

Back to where the battle finally ended, Laharl was breathing heavily. He had put everything into that last attack to assure his victory over Setsuna. He stared at the crater that his ultimate attack created. Laharl hoped to find Setsuna defeated and unconscious down there. When the dust finally cleared, Laharl neither laughed nor boast. All he did was mutter to himself, "…it's over…"

"Prince!" Etna was rushing towards Laharl. She stopped right next to him to catch her breath. Both of them were heavily wounded from their battles. When she finally caught her breath, she asked Laharl, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, these wounds don't hurt too much anymore. At least, now that this battle is finally over." Laharl observed Etna's body. She too had suffered heavy damage from her battles, especially against Kuroyami. One of the straps of her leather bra had been snapped off, both her ribbons were torn, and she had scars all over. Worst of all, her father's spear was destroyed. "Maybe I should be asking you that question…"

Despite the damage, Etna had her smirk on her face. She wasn't about to let that get in the way of their victory. "Don't worry about me. I've had some rest, and one day in the Hell Hospital will get us back on our feet in no time. I do have more of this outfit as well as my ribbon and I'm sure if we go into Item World, we can have my father's spear repaired, so there's nothing to worry about…except…hey, where's Flonne-chan?"

Laharl was about to respond, but he realized that even after defeat Setsuna, Flonne was still absent. He remembered that Setsuna promised to return Flonne if he defeated him, but Flonne hadn't returned. Laharl began to grit his teeth, feeling that he had trusted his enemy way too much. "THAT BASTARD!" Laharl jumped into the crater, hoping to find Setsuna's body. Etna followed after him. Laharl had found the body, but there was no life in it, and Flonne was nowhere to be seen. That's when Laharl realized something. When he defeated the Seraph, he spared his life and Flonne returned to life. However, if Setsuna was dead…then… "No…if I killed him…could that mean that…Flonne will never come back…?"

"That can't be!" Etna exclaimed in denial, but it was true. If Setsuna was the one who made Flonne disappear, then he was the only who could bring her back. However, if he was dead… "No…Flonne-chan…"

Laharl fell to his knees, feeling that Setsuna, despite his death, really won. Tears began to flood his eyes. He felt so heartbroken, for he could never see Flonne again. He could never tell her his true feelings. This pain was unbearable. It felt like the whole world was crashing down on him. This was the first time he truly wanted to protect someone…yet he couldn't do it. He almost wanted to die right now. Then…he started to feel warm. It was that warm feeling that he felt those few times where Flonne hugged him, or that one time he carried her back to the castle. He then realized that this warmth…was coming from his chest, near his heart. He touched that warm feeling, to find that there was something there. He looked down near his chest and found the one thing Flonne gave him before she turned into a Fallen Angel. _Flonne's pendant…_ It was giving off a warm glow that slowly took away the pain. _But why is it glowing all of a sudden? Wait…didn't Setsuna say…?_

'_Power sleeps in the heart and awakens in the darkest hour…'_

Laharl noticed something else giving off a similar energy. He traced that energy to Setsuna. _Could it be…? _Wasting no time, Laharl rushed over to Setsuna and started search through his lifeless body for a clue.

Etna, not knowing what was going on, was a little puzzled. She didn't know why Laharl all of a sudden had the urge to go over and search Setsuna. "Prince, what are you doing? How come you're searching him?" However, she saw an anxious and determined face on him. She knew he would only do this for one person. Etna decided to say no more and help him search for his clue.

They kept searching, using the pendant's glow as its guide. The glow got stronger as they got close to finding it. Suddenly, the pendant brilliant glow glowed at it's strongest. The pendant was hovering over Setsuna's chest. Laharl moved Setsuna's cloak to the side, and found the source of all the energy. The pendant was reacting to one of the charms. Of course, there was only one charm that it was reacting to. It was the charm that was glowing just as brilliantly as the pendant. The one nearest to his heart, his double-cross. _So that's what he meant…that must mean that attack… _"I found her…"

"What do you mean, Prince?" Etna asked him.

"She's here. She's inside the double-cross!"

Etna gasped in surprise. She couldn't believe him, but she tried her best to agree with him. However, this did raise one question. "How did she get in there?"

"It must've been when Setsuna used that one attack on Flonne. That attack must've sealed her in here." It all came together. Laharl and Etna had solved the mystery of Flonne's disappearance. "It makes sense now. That's why he said she wasn't in this world. She was sealed into the cross. At least…we know she's safe now…" Laharl sighed, and soon a smile crept back onto his face. Not his usual demonic grin, but a softer smile, one that had been rarely seen.

Etna couldn't help but smile with him. She was too happy for both him and Flonne. However, that happiness soon waned when Etna realized that there was still one problem left. "Wait. Prince, how are we going to get Flonne-chan out of there then if she's stuck in there? None of us know that kind of sealing magic, so what do we do?"

Of course, Laharl didn't even think of that. Neither of them had any type of magic that could seal or unseal a being, so unless they find a way to do it, Flonne will be trapped in there forever. Laharl tried to think of anything that could bring back Flonne, but so far his mind was blank for ideas. Laharl thought of threatening Setsuna into bringing her back, but that was impossible since he was, well…dead. In addition, he couldn't think of anyone who could unseal Flonne. After all, Setsuna was the only person he met who perform seals. Soon, something clicked in Laharl's head. There was one other person who could do something similar to Setsuna. He just hoped that this person would be able to do this. "Hey Etna, once we get back to the castle, tell Katy to send a message to Seraph."

"Seraph? Why?"

"Well if he can kill angels by turning them into flowers, then maybe he might know how to seal."

Etna agreed with him. Since they had no other leads, it would be best to let the Seraph handle this. "Alright then. We'll have to bring the double cross over there though."

"Right. I'd better take it right now." However, the second Laharl ever touched the double cross… "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! IT BURNS!" He couldn't even get his hand on it. He began to shake his now reddened hand in pain. Laharl glared at the double cross, wondering why it was burning him. Laharl began to grit his teeth. "Damn it! I can't even lift that thing without getting many hands burned!"

Then it occurred to Etna why Laharl was in pain from touching it. "Prince, his double cross charm is still a cross, and crosses, just like Setsuna's staff, are anti-demon objects!"

"What?" Laharl remembered exactly what Setsuna told him. An attack from Setsuna's staff does more damage to a demon because of it's cross, which makes it a powerful anti-demon weapon. Since Setsuna's charm was also a cross, Laharl couldn't touch it either. He wanted to cuss out loud, or even destroy Setsuna's body. Then Jennifer and Thursday dropped right into the crater.

"Laharl-chan, are you alright? Where's Flonne-chan?"

"I found her in the cross, but I can't touch it!" Laharl's rage was building within him again, but he tried to calm himself down, seeing that there was no point in getting angry if it would cloud his mind again. That's when he came up with another brilliant idea. "Jennifer, I hate asking this but can you do us a favor?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Try and pick up that cross." Laharl pointed to the charm around Setsuna's neck. "We're bringing that to the Seraph, so we can bring Flonne back. Etna and I are demons so we can't pick it up, so maybe if you were to…"

"Don't say another word. I'm on it." Jennifer walked up to Setsuna and slightly touched it to see if she would suffer any affects. However, when she touched it, she too got shocked by the cross. She quickly pulled her hand away. Luckily, since she slightly touched it, it didn't do as much damage to her. "I can't do it either!"

They couldn't believe it. Even Jennifer, a human, had been rejected by the cross. "No way! You're human! How can the cross reject you too?" Etna exclaimed.

"Maybe if Thursday could do it…"

However, Thursday declined to help. "Blip beep, sorry. System will overload due to shock. Because Thursday is a robot, Thursday will suffer from a power surge. Sorry…blip beep."

"So that's it then…" Laharl muttered with his head down.

"No… Etna almost wanted to cry again. After everything they had to endure, they had realized that they may never get Flonne back. It was too hard on everyone, especially Laharl.

Laharl wanted to cuss at himself. They were so close to getting Flonne back, but one more obstacle prevented them from returning her. What made him feel worse was that he couldn't keep his promise. He promised to give everything he had to return Flonne back to life, but in the end, he couldn't get her back. The pain he was feeling now was unbearable. Everything had come crushing down on him. In his mind, it felt like the end of the world for the most important person in his life was taken away. A small tear fell from his watered eyes and onto something. Suddenly, Laharl's pendant began to glow again. _Again? Is it trying to help me? Wait, maybe it's not necessarily the pendant but…Flonne. She's trying to tell me something! What is it? _Laharl moved the pendant around to find their next clue. Soon, it began to glow it's most brilliant light. Laharl checked what it was resonating with and it turned out to be none other than Setsuna's staff. That's when Laharl realized what it was trying to point out. _Setsuna's staff. Of course…wait a minute…what am I saying? That thing's gonna shock me too!_ Laharl was hesitant in listening to the pendant. Setsuna's staff was also an anti-demon object that could easily burn Laharl if he were to even touch it, much less grab it. However, the pendant kept resonating with the staff. Laharl didn't know what to do now. If he didn't do anything, then Flonne will never come back, but if he tried to use the staff, he might kill himself. With all the injuries he had received, if he were to experience more pain, he might actually die. _What am I supposed to do? I don't want to leave Flonne…but I can't die…I don't… _Then he began to remember his promises. He promised to protect. He promised to fight for Flonne. He promised…to risk his life to save her… _I'll take the risk! _With that, he grabbed Setsuna's staff with both his hands. Everyone around him gasped in shock that he would risk such a thing. Just as expected, a painful shock surged all over Laharl's body. Laharl was now screaming in pain.

"Prince, stop!" Etna pleaded her master. "It's too much for you! You might die!"

"Listen to Etna-chan!" Jennifer pleaded Laharl. "If you die and Flonne-chan comes back, how will she feel?"

Despite the warnings, Laharl kept his grip on the staff. He tried his best to bear the pain as he staggered towards Setsuna's body. "I made a promise before I left! I promised to risk everything to for her! Flonne has sacrificed herself too much for me! Now it's my turn to sacrifice for her! For some I!" The one thing in his heart had finally surfaced. Etna and Jennifer heard it with their own ears: Laharl would do anything to bring back Flonne even if it means losing his life in the process. His pure determination in returning her made them silent. They couldn't say anything that would stop him. Laharl struggled with the staff. The pain it was emitting got more painful the longer he held it. Despite that, he tried to bear all of the pain. Finally, he was on top of Setsuna again. Laharl stared at the double cross on his neck again, which was resonating with the staff. Then, using all the strength he had left, Laharl made the staff touch the double cross. Using his remaining strength, Laharl tried to speak to the staff and the cross. "_I know that I am not your master, but please, for the sake of the Fallen Angel Flonne, obey my command and return her to me!_" At that moment, the entire field had become white. Everything was silent. Nothing could be seen. It looked like the world had ended. Then, the white light had waned. As it began to fade, Laharl fell onto his knees and looked at his hands. They were red and covered with burns caused by holding the staff. Not just his hands though. His entire body had a tint of red from the sting that the staff had caused. Laharl sighed. "My entire body is aching. My hands are really burning…I didn't think it'd be so painful…" Suddenly…

"Don't worry. I will heal you of your pain. After all…" …a soft hand reached out and placed it on Laharl's hand. "…you need rest." Everyone gasped when they heard that sweet voice, especially Laharl. He almost thought he was dreaming, but his eyes trailed over the soft hand up the silk sleeves. They soon spotted beautiful long golden blond hair that ran through her wings and all the way towards her tail. Then his eyes moved upward to see more of her features. His eyes were greeted with a smiling face with passionate pink/red eyes and a red ribbon to top off her hair. These features belonged to only one person. That person was the one Laharl sacrificed everything for. The one he braved through three incredibly powerful legends for. The one he risked even his life for… "I'm here for you, Laharl-san."

"Flonne…" Laharl remained silent for a few second, but he couldn't contain himself any longer. After everything he has done, she had returned to him. "Flonne!" Etna and Jennifer didn't say anything. After all, they did not want to break this moment. They were not only happy to see Flonne again, they were happy to see that Laharl, after sacrificing so much, had finally found his happiness. However, this happy moment didn't last long. Just as Laharl got up, he ran to up to Flonne and…whacked her over the head? Etna and Jennifer just stared blankly at him as Flonne's eyes began to swirl from Laharl's hit.

"Ow…what did you do that for, Laharl-san…?"

"That's for breaking your friggin promise, you Love Freak!"

"But Laharl-san!"

"But nothing! I thought we made a deal! You said you wouldn't take any hits for me, and what do you do? You end up screwing yourself over with your love ideals, you stupid Love Freak!" It was apparent that Laharl was really mad at Flonne. After all, she really did break her promise to not sacrifice herself, but she ended up doing so after saving him from Setsuna's sealing technique.

Flonne, seeing how much she had hurt Laharl, bowed her head in sorrow. "I'm so sorry…" Then, she felt a warm hand on her cheek. She looked up, and there he was. Laharl was smiling softly at her, glad to see that his angel had returned.

"Let's go home, Flonne." Laharl's words sent a tingling sensation all over her body. After all, she had really missed Laharl after spending all that time in the cross. For the first time in her life, she had felt Laharl's true feelings.

She nodded happily. It was for them to go back home. "Yes. You need rest. All of you."

"Welcome back, Flonne."

"Welcome back, Flonne-chan!"

"It's good to be back." As Etna, Jennifer, and Thursday climbed out of the crater, Flonne turned towards Setsuna's lifeless body. She did know whether he died or not, but she decided to do what was right. She placed her hand over Setsuna, which began to glow with energy. _Kami-sama, please bring life back into Setsuna-san. _Suddenly, the blue glow transferred onto Setsuna. Before the blue glow could do anything, Laharl's voice called out to her.

"Hey, Flonne c'mon!"

"Alright! I'm coming!" Flonne then left Setsuna and climbed out of the crater. As she got out, she began to think about Setsuna. Even though he caused so much pain for Laharl, Flonne couldn't help but wish for his life to continue. _Setsuna-san, Laharl-san may not want to say this, but I do. Thank you so much for everything you've done. While I'm upset that Laharl-san was really hurt by all this, you have really taught him so much. Thanks to you, not only did he begin to realize his true power, but you have taught me a valuable lesson about love. Something I have overlooked…_

**Flashback**

"Nnn…where am I?" Flonne slowly opened her eyes. For last several minutes, she had seen nothing but white. It seemed like she was trapped forever. Now she seemed to be back in the Netherworld. To be more specific, back in the Eternal Apocalypse. She tried her best to remember what happened earlier. "Hm…we were fighting Setsuna-san when…I let his beads hit me! Oh no, Laharl-san must be worried about me! I have to find him and help him beat Setsuna-san!" Before she could take another step, she felt something tug on her sleeve. She turned to see who it was. It turned out to be a young boy. In fact, he turned out to be an angel, which surprised Flonne. _Phew…I thought it was Setsuna-san. Aw…it's a cute little angel. He looks so young and innocent. I wonder if he can help me. _"Hello little one. My name is Flonne."

The innocent little angel was jumping for joy. "So you're Flonne-san! You're just as pretty as I imagined you to be!" His comment made Flonne blush a bit in embarrassment. The boy decided to introduce himself. "My name is Chiriko! Do you want to be my friend?"

"Oh, of course! I would love to be your frie Ch—Chiriko? As in the legend?"

"I think so." Chiriko said with his arms crossed. "Someone told me I was a legend for defeating Kuroyami." Flonne couldn't believe it. The legend she had drawn on Laharl's hand before they left the castle was standing before her. Not only was Chiriko her favorite Celestial legend (aside from Seraph Lamington), he was such a cute little boy. She felt so giddy inside. "Flonne-san, do you wanna be friends?"

"Of course, I do!" Flonne exclaimed as she took his hand. "I've always wanted to meet you."

"Teehee, I've become a celebrity, haven't I?" Just as they were about to play…

"Chiriko-kun, can I please have a word with her?"

"Mou…I didn't get to play with her yet…" Chiriko moaned, annoyed that his time was up so fast. Flonne started to have a bad feeling. The voice that called out to Chiriko sounded very familiar. _Oh no…it can't be…_ "Setsuna-san, I didn't even have enough time…"

That's when he entered the field. The black cloak. The priest staff. The three charms. Those happy blue eyes. These belonged to only one person. "Well, if we have time left, I'll let you play with her. For now, I just want to talk." Flonne's prediction was true. It was Setsuna, the one Laharl and the others were facing. She was too surprised to do or say anything, for she knew how fierce and powerful this opponent was.

Yet, Chiriko remained the same happy child despite the appearance of this powerful figure. "Hai! Arigato Setsuna-san!"

The way Chiriko carried himself right now shocked Flonne. She couldn't understand how Chiriko could be so calm around someone so dangerous. "Chiriko-chan, Setsuna-san is dangerous! He nearly killed several of my friends!"

"Your friends? But Setsuna-san wouldn't…oh you mean Laharl-kun and everyone else. Oh yeah, I know about that! I just fought them a few seconds ago." Chiriko's response only made Flonne worry even more. Chiriko, the angel she believed in, had fought her friends. Did this mean that he too was her enemy? She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. "Flonne-san, are you alright?" Chiriko could see a worried look on Flonne's face, which made him feel guilty for fighting her friends, not to mention the fact that she believed in him. "I'm sorry…Flonne-san…but I am tied to Setsuna-san now. Both me and Kuro-kun. I wish I could be friends with your friends…but I am under Setsuna-san…and…"

"That's enough." Setsuna interjected. "Chiriko-kun, it's not your fault. That is why I wanted to bring Flonne-chan out. I need to talk to her right now, so please leave us."

Chiriko agreed. Before leaving Flonne, he said to her, "Please forgive us for hurting all of you…" With that, Chiriko transformed into a blue soul ball. The soul ball flew to Setsuna's charms and went inside it. When that was over, only Setsuna and Flonne were left.

Setsuna walked over to Flonne, but she backed away from him. She was scared since she was now all alone with her enemy in front of her. She angrily shouted at him. "Don't touch me!"

"Now please, Flonne-chan." Setsuna said, trying to calm her. "I just want to—"

However, Flonne resisted him. She wouldn't give him a chance to say even one word. "I don't want to hear it! You hurt all my friends back at the castle! You hurt all my friends here in Eternal Apocalypse! And now, you have kidnapped me! I'm sure its really hurting Laharl-san inside! Don't come near me! If you do, I'm going to have to fight you!"

"First of all, you were the one who dived in front of my attack to protect Laharl-kun, so that was pretty much your fault…" Setsuna reminded her.

"Well…I guess that's true…but…"

"Flonne-chan…" Setsuna began in a very calm, passionate tone. "You believe in love. You love all living things, no matter who it is. You are a forgiving person who listens to what everyone says and gives them respect. That is what I heard from Seraph Lamington-san."

Flonne gasped. She couldn't believe that someone like Setsuna would know the Seraph. "You know…Lamington-sama."

Setsuna nodded in agreement. "Yes, I have known Lamington-san for a long time. He has told me all about you. He told me about how kind you are to everyone, even those who oppress you. You're always looking to resolve things without making anyone feel bad. However, with the way you're acting now, you're not living up to Lamington-san's words." Flonne bowed her head, knowing that he was right. She's never was like this, even as a Fallen Angel. Instead, she was acting like any demon or angel, not giving Setsuna a chance to speak. It felt like she had lost herself back there. Luckily for her, Setsuna began to chuckle and smile at her, almost as if everything was better. "Oh, don't worry about it. I just needed to remind you of who you are. You are Flonne, the angel who brings love to all, no matter who they are. It is because you are such a strong believer in love and the unity of all living things that I want to talk to you. Will you now listen to me?"

Flonne looked up at Setsuna, smiling happily just as the cheerful love freak would. "Yes, I don't want to shun you away like that. Now that I think about it, there's no way someone like you would hurt me after saying all that. Just know that I'm sorry for the way I acted…"

Setsuna chuckled again. "Like I said, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're yourself again. Now please listen to what I have to say."

It's been about thirty minutes. Setsuna clearly explained to Flonne his plan. He told her what his true purpose really is the. The reason for his duel against Laharl. The reason why he has Chiriko and Kuroyami with him. The reason why he's here…

"You mean…this was all…to unite the two worlds?"

"Well, this fight is only a part of my mission." Setsuna explained to her. "I'm sure Lamington-san told you once before that you and Laharl-kun are the knot that will unite two words, correct?" Flonne nodded. She remembered that Mid Boss told them that after she returned to the world as a Fallen Angel. "Well, I wanted to see the true power your bond held. My ultimate goal is to unite the two worlds as atonement."

"Atonement?"

"The completion of my mission, I believe, will atone for all the sins I have committed." Flonne didn't want to even ask him about it. She knew that whatever happened to him was a pain that Setsuna could never erase and would be hard to bring up, so she simply continued to listen. Setsuna continued. "I never really had a plan over it, so I became a traveling priest to help everyone out and try to slowly change the way angels and demons think of each other. Of course, there were many failures. Too man to count. I knew that if I wanted to complete this mission, then I really had to find a plan. Then one day, I met Lamington-san, Rayne-san, and Krichevskoy-san."

"Wow! So that means you're acquainted with all the rulers?"

"Not just acquainted." Setsuna said. "We became fast friends. It was great to find three people who shared the same views I did. So we all quickly came up with a plan. Our plan was to make the new generation of demons and angels to not be afraid of one another. Once we get that done, a demon and angel's thoughts of one another may change. What we needed, was a young demon and a young angel for our plan to work."

"So who was that young demon and young angel?" Flonne asked him. Setsuna simply smiled as he stared at Flonne. She didn't really know why he was staring at her like that. All she knew was that it had something to do with Laharl and herself. That's when she finally realized what he meant. "You mean…me and Laharl-san…"

"Yes. Your bond is important to everyone." Setsuna explained to her. "If we want to unite the worlds, we need someone to set an example for all beings. Who better then to choose the son of the Overlord and an angel who loves all living things. It is because of your bond that we will one day see a new world." Flonne began to blush. She couldn't believe it. Together, she and Laharl would make a big impact on every living thing. For a Love Freak such as herself, she couldn't be more delighted. However, Setsuna had more to say. "However, I was unsure of whether or not your bond was strong. It's true that it takes time, but I needed to see some progress. That's why I chose to duel Laharl alone. I wanted to see his power."

"But then, you won't see the power of our bond if the of us are apart." Flonne disagreed with Setsuna. To her, if she and Laharl weren't together, then there is no bond. Just them separated. "Our bond is strong if we are together! It's the power of love, friendship, and teamwork that pulls us through!"

"I agree." Setsuna told her. "The power of love, friendship, and teamwork is a power that should not be underestimated."

"Then why are you separating us then? If we're not together, there is no love, friendship, or teamwork!"

"I'm sure teamwork may be somewhat hindered," Setsuna calmly told her. "But the power of love and friendship never leaves."

"But—!"

"Flonne-chan, do you remember when you were turned into a flower?" Setsuna asked her. "When you saw Lamington-san after coming back, what was he like?"

Flonne didn't know why Setsuna was all of a sudden asking this question, but she tried to remember what happened. "He was…on the ground…"

"And Laharl-kun defeated him, correct?"

"Yeah, but I don't get it…what are you trying to say?"

"Flonne-chan, Seraph Lamington-san is currently the most powerful angel in the universe." Setsuna reminded her. It was pretty obvious to her though. The title of Seraph is given to the head of Celestia, the most powerful figure in Celestia. "However, Seraph Lamington-san was defeated by Laharl-kun, who to my knowledge originally, was weaker than the Seraph. However, he was able to defeat him." Flonne knew that he was right. Even if Laharl was powerful, he didn't have the strength to defeat the Seraph. All she knew was that he was driven to defeat him, but determination alone is nothing. "The angels, I'm sure, have been pondering how Laharl-kun defeated him. However, I know that answer. Do you know where true power comes from?"

Flonne was a little surprised when Setsuna asked that question. For someone who loves love so much, she didn't really have much of an answer, but she did her best to give a good one. "I…don't really know where true power comes from. All I know is that true power sleeps within every one of us…that is until something triggers it."

Setsuna smiled, seeing that this really was the Flonne Lamington trusted. "Wow, you were able to understand so fast. No wonder Lamington-san chose you." Flonne let out a small giggle before Setsuna continued on. "You are pretty much right. True power does sleep somewhere and awaits something to trigger it. That power comes from the heart. No matter what someone does to make them stronger, their true power is unleashed when something awakens it. Now Laharl-kun was able to defeat many different foes, whether it is Seraph Lamington-san or Overlord Priere-chan. His power, however, was triggered by something. Do you know what it is?" Flonne thought about it for a few seconds then shook her head. She really didn't know what makes Laharl so strong. "His power…is triggered by love and friendship. His determination to protect his friends, including you." Flonne was surprised as well as embarrassed. She couldn't believe that Laharl's power came from love and friendship. And his power surfaces whenever Flonne was in danger, making her feel more embarrassed. "You see, even though he denies it, his true power awakens whenever his friends are in danger. You've witnessed that many times, including his battles with Seraph Lamington-san and Priere-chan. You see, love doesn't always mean that you are together. There will be times when you two will be separated, such as now. What this duel is testing is not his ability to work with his vassals. That, I believe, he has mastered. What I am testing is whether or not you have shown him enough love to trigger his true power. If he truly didn't love you, he wouldn't have defeated so many powerful opponents. You can even ask Chiriko-kun, for he was just recently defeated by Laharl-kun." Flonne just kept getting more surprised by the minute. He was able to defeat the legendary Celestial Angel. It was too hard for her to conceive. "Flonne-chan, I must thank you for showing Laharl-kun all the love you could give. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have defeated all those powerful enemies. I am sure he will pull through."

Just as Setsuna was about to get up, Flonne tugged on his cloak with a worried look on her face. Something still bothered her. "Setsuna-san…now that I know that you're a nice man…I can't stop wondering…what will happen during your duel? Will Laharl-san die…or will you…"

Setsuna chuckled again and patted Flonne's head to reassure her. Then, with a very calm smile, he told her, "That, I cannot predict. However, if you believe in Laharl-kun, he may be able to win. It is your love and his love that awakens power. In a way, THAT is also the power of love, friendship, and teamwork. No matter how far apart you two are, your feelings for each other will never change. I'm sure the saying goes 'love travels a thousand miles', correct?"

Flonne happily nodded. Now she knew he really was a good guy. Despite all the pain he had caused to everyone, it was all an attempt to unite the worlds and strengthen Laharl and Flonne's bond. Flonne couldn't be happier. "Yes, love is eternal, that is why I love it so much. Thank you for telling me all this. Now I know that you really are a good person."

"No, thank you for actually listening to me." Setsuna thanked her. "If anyone else had been in your shoes, they would've run away a long time ago." Flonne giggled to herself hearing that comment. "Now I'm sure Chiriko-kun wants to play."

"Oh you're right! It was my dream to meet him!"

Setsuna chuckled again and pulled out one of his pendants. "Alright, Chiriko-kun, you can come out now!" In that moment, Chiriko appeared before Flonne once again, even more anxious and cheerful than before.

"Let's go play, Flonne-san!"

"Yeah!"

**End of Flashback**

_Setsuna-san, thank you so much for reminding me of love's power. It was because of love that Laharl-san was able to defeat you and return me back to the world, despite all that happened to him. I pray that you will live on and one day complete your mission._

"Hey, Flonne." Flonne turned to her side, where Laharl's bed was. They were all back in Hell Hospital. Laharl's hands and his stomach were wrapped in bandages thanks to the wounds he got from his earlier battle. "You're kinda spaced out. You alright?"

Flonne shook her and smiled at Laharl. She felt better knowing that Laharl really does care for her. "No…I was just thinking about someone…"

"Wait…who's this someone…?"

"Teehee…you'll figure it out."

"Tell me now!"

Flonne, of course, resisted. "No. I'm not telling."

"Flonne!" Suddenly, Flonne hugged Laharl, making him calm down a bit. Before, her hugs would make him scream even more, but this time it made him feel so calm. The feel of her soft skin overwhelmed his senses. Her fragrance placed Laharl in some sort of trance that he could never escape. Everything about Flonne at that moment…was just so…calming Then, he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep right in Flonne's arms.

Flonne's smiled at the sleepy Laharl and just kept running her hands through his hair. She then noticed that Laharl's head was slipping off her hands onto her chest. A sudden shriek escaped her lips, but instead of slapping him off, she simply smiled and kept his head on her chest. It appeared that their feelings for each…have grown. _For now Laharl-san, just rest. After all, that someone I was thinking about…was you…_

Back at the Eternal Apocalypse, Setsuna was still lying in the crater. There seemed to be no movement, no trace of life in him. It truly seemed like he was dead. Then…

_"Wow, looks like someone's got hit a little too hard."_ (Kuroyami)

'_I hope Setsuna-san is alright…' _(Chiriko)

"_Don't worry. He's alright. Flonne even healed him…though he really didn't need it. See, he's getting up now." _Kuroyami was right. Setsuna was moving again. He was a bit dirty from the battle, but otherwise he was alright. He shook some of the dirty and rocks from his hair. He looked to the side. A red spirit and a blue spirit were right next to them. These were obviously the spirits of Kuroyami and Chiriko. Without Setsuna's magic, they could not manifest themselves into a solid form, so of course they appeared in the form of spirits.

Chiriko was overjoyed. _'Setsuna-san, you're alive!' _Setsuna nodded and began to get up. Suddenly, his eyes widened. There was fear in his eyes, as if something had happened to him. _'What's wrong, Setsuna-san?'_

"_How hard did he hit you?"_

_Ugh…cramp… _The two spirits fell over, despite the lack of a solid form. After worrying his spirits with his battered body, Setsuna had the nerve to complain about a cramp.

"SETSUNA!" 

_What? I do have a cramp! _After about a minute of arguing, Setsuna was able to get up again. In fact, despite all those damages, he was able recover so quickly. He dusted the some of the dirt in his jet black hair while shaking rocks from his cape.

As he was doing this, Chiriko asked him, '_Setsuna-san, you were talking about your mission being a way of atonement earlier? You never told us about this. What was that about?'_

"_Chiriko-kun…I'm sure Setsuna doesn't want to talk about it. Like he said…it's a grave sin…but I'm sure it has something to do with that demon girl you had an affair with during the Betrayal." _Setsuna's eyes shot wide open after hearing that from Kuroyami. Obviously, Kuroyami hit it right on the dot. _"I knew it!"_

'_Setsuna-san was in love with a demon?' _Of course, this was big news to Chiriko, but it was true. Setsuna was once in love with a demon.

_"It's been his reason for this mission from day one. You know Setsuna, it's been over 3500 years. Just get over her already, you've done enough."_

Setsuna shook his head and began to smile. _Sorry, but I can't get over her. It's because of her that I have seen the pain of every race. Before I met her, I thought demons were the only things considered evil. Now I realize that I had been a fool all along…besides…_

_Setsuna-san?_

_What is it?_

_I wish everyone would be like us. I wish they would realize that all demons aren't evil. Then maybe one day…we could truly be together._

_You really think so?_

_I know so!_

_Fine, then I promise to unite all the worlds, so that one day, we could truly live happily._

_Will you keep that promise?_

_Don't worry, I'll do my best for your sake…Miyuki-chan…_

_I have killed so many for the sake of the happiness of the angels and humans. But I realized that all I have been doing is taking away happiness…especially from you. I've killed your only family…for the sake my ideals. But don't worry. It all ends here—no…MIYUKI-CHAN!_

_Setsuna-san…if you still love me…please…keep your promise and unite all three worlds…_

_Miyuki-chan…_

"That one day I had to let go of Miyuki-chan…there was one other thing I promised…" Setsuna pulled his dark hood over his head, which covered his face. He looked up to the sky, which started to become a little calmer. "I promised that I will never let anyone suffer the same fate I did. I may have failed once, but there is one thing for sure: Krichevskoy and I…hope that Laharl-kun…does not suffer the same fate we did…"

"That is why we're here, isn't it?"

Setsuna smiled as he turned to the figures behind him. He knew exactly they were. One was a beautiful yet devious demon with long purple hair. The other was a young girl with a white jacket with a calm aura. "Of course. One day, our goals will be accomplished and soon the worlds will united, right Krichevskoy-san?"

"Yeah. I am sure that Laharl and Flonne will truly bring unity between the demons, angels, humans, and all other living beings. Speaking of which, Kirei and I would to hear your analysis of our son."

"Of course."

* * *

**Next episode**

Etna: Something is coming. Something that will—

Chiriko: BE FUN! LET'S MAKE IT ENJOYABLE!

Etna: pushes Chiriko away: Well that something is about to—

Kuroyami: Take over anything in my path! Everything will be mine!

Etna: pushes Kuroyami away: But there's nothing to fear fo!

Chiriko: Chiriko the Celestial Angel will save the day!

Kuroyami: No! Its Kuroyami, the Shadow Hitokiri, will cut the throats of all opposers :explosions:

Setsuna: Next time on **Legend of Etna: Dynamite of Boom! **Watch out cuz we're gonna have an explosion on our hands! There, I finished it for you Etna-chan. Uh…why are you holding that Etna-chan… :explosion:

* * *

Even I'm confused right now, cuz this chapter was so hard, so don't worry if your head hurts. I'm so confused that I can't even explain how I got up to this point. Well anyway, it's about time I fully explained the purpose of Setsuna and everyone else. Their purpose in this fic was to add a little more to the purpose of Laharl and Flonne's bond. I didn't want to use Mid Boss just yet, so I wanted to make up one more character. Soon, I came up with idea of someone in a black cloak using a priest staff but I couldn't come up with a name. I finally decided to use my avatar, Burnfist/Tsuruko Shirai, as the black cloaked character, but those names just didn't fit. I kept looking through other manga and video games until I came across one name: Setsuna. I thought it sounded right, and since it sounded like Setsunai, I chose that name. His last name 'Kyuuseishu' is supposed to mean messiah. Personality-wise, I made him into a darker Himura Kenshin, you know from Rurouni Kenshin. That's why he's very dense a lot of the time, but incredibly serious during a battle. My only problem with him was that I did not want to turn him into something that was so powerful that he could easily hand Krichevskoy and Lamington's ass. That's why I was having trouble with this part. I still think I made him too powerful, but I guess it couldn't be helped. At least I turned him down a notch.

The other two characters: Chiriko and Kuroyami are based off my avatar's alter egos: Chibi and Yami. The reason why they were added was simply because I have this habit of having those three characters together. Plus, they added more to why Setsuna was fighting in the first place. As for personality, Chiriko is similar to one of those bright happy kids who like to play around a lot. Think of Momiji from Fruits Basket. As for Kuroyami, he's more of a combination of different cool evil villains. The ones I think are most like him are Hitokiri Battousai (As in Kenshin when he starts killing) from RK and Yami Bakura from Yu Gi Oh (Which explains the evil laugh). Of course, the problem was that I needed to make a big cohesive side story to it, which eventually became the big war 'the Great Betrayal'. This, of course, gave birth to Miyuki, Setsuna's lover. That's when everything started sound so much like RK, which may be why this chapter sounds very confusing. Hopefully, this will be cleared if I decide to write about the Great Betrayal (of course I need support so tell if you'd like a fic like that)

Anyway, now that this chapter is finally over, Aku no Tsubasa will be heading towards it climax. What's the climax? I can't tell you. You have to wait. Let me just say that someone who has been hiding for quite some time reappears before Laharl. Can our favorite demons face our next challenge? Tune in next time.


	11. Strike Through the Nightmare, Fly to You...

**Author's notes:** After those three hard chapters, we'll finally reach the climax of this fic. Thank you everyone for supporting this fic, especially Kizzi-chan and Bella (But where are you Bella?). You have been reviewing this fic since day one, I'm so happy you two spent your time reading my fic. Of course, the other reviewers must be thanked, so thank you everyone. Also, I'm sorry for not updating Nostalgic Feelings, but with Aku no Tsubasa heading closer and closer to the end, I cannot stop now. I have to keep going. Once Aku no Tsubasa ends, I'll start updating Nostalgic Feelings more frequently.

I'm happy to tell everyone that the chapter is going back to another humorous romp (with some drama/angst on the side), and just in time for we're finally closing in on the big climax (dun dun dun)! When we last left off, Mid Boss and Kirei were having a word with Setsuna, who had just recovered from his battle with Laharl. What will happen to our favorite demons next? And what happens to Setsuna when he finally finds the one he's been searching for?

**Disclaimer:** Once again, I own Setsuna, Chiriko, Kuroko (changed it from Kuroyami), Yuki, Katy, and Miyuki. Otherwise, Nippon Ichi owns everything else in Disgaea. Note that the name I gave Etna's spear is the other name for Mt. Etna, a volcano over in Italy (which her name was based on).

**Warning:** Slight Yuri in this chapter (Sorry, but it's only for a humorous scene) and lime scene (or at least lime style writing)! Oh, and sorry for making the pendant into a plot device.

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Episode 11: Strike Through the Nightmare, Fly to Your Dreams**

"We're a bunch of bastards, aren't we?" Setsuna drearily asked Mid Boss. It had been several hours since the conclusion of his battle with Laharl. Even after using his final attack and receiving heavy damage from Laharl's Meteor Impact, Setsuna seemed to be fine, especially after Flonne's healing. As Setsuna got to his feet, he found Mid Boss and Kirei standing beside him, awaiting his awakening. Now that everyone had left, he was alone with the sassy duo, discussing Laharl and Flonne's abilities, as well as their ties to their mission: to reunite both worlds. "Putting them through so much pain just for our own ideals…"

"I know how you feel, Setsuna." Mid Boss said to him with much remorse. After all, he too was putting them through all this pain. And not just anyone, this was his own son. "Sometimes, I feel guilty for putting those two through so much, but it if you want to complete your mission, then you'll have to go through it."

"But I worry about them too, koishii." Said Kirei, the reincarnation of Laharl's mother. "We may want our goals to be accomplished but…it just doesn't feel right…doing this to them all the time…"

"You're right…" Mid Boss had to agree. Seeing that putting them through more tests at this point would be way too hard on them, especially after the whole ordeal with Setsuna, he came up with a solution. "We should limit ourselves to one final test. After all, there is something out there that might destroy them. We're going to have to strengthen their bond further…for the sake of all beings…and for their sake as well. Does anyone have any objections?"

Setsuna felt no need to object, and so agreed with the plan. "No, but I must leave now. Now that I have tested Laharl-kun, I must find someone else."

Mid Boss nodded in agreement. With that one person on the loose, there was no need for idle chitchat for Setsuna. "Ah yes. Well, good luck with finding him."

"And good luck to you too, Krichevskoy-san. Same to you Rayne-san." Setsuna politely bowed to the two reincarnations and went his separate way.

"Oh and don't get lost!"

Setsuna chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Right…in a few seconds, you'll end up wondering where we are again." Kuroko sarcastically said within Setsuna's consciousness.

'I hope we can find him.' Chiriko worriedly said.

Yeah. We'd better put all efforts into this. We have to find him before he causes any real damage. And so, Setsuna set off in hopes of finding that one person.

As Setsuna left the couple, Kirei turned to Mid Boss with a very playful look on her face. The type any girl would give to their boyfriend whenever something big is about to happen. "Kioshii, we're going to use that place, aren't we?"

"Yup. We've been going to him a lot. Now it's time that he came to us."

A few days later at the Overlord's Castle…

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT WAS THE ITEM GOD?" Gordon exclaimed loudly through the halls. His body was covered in scratches and bruises, and a large bump was protruding out of his slick hair. The other vassals, however, seemed to receive less damage.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO RUSH IN!" Laharl snapped back in annoyance. During Etna's battle with Kuroko, the spear her father left for her, which she later named Aetna was destroyed. She could've taken it to a blacksmith, but it would make the spear weaker and would probably lose its glow. The only other way to fix a broken weapon was through Item World. As long as it was a legendary weapon, which it was, it was repairable. However, there was only one problem: in order to fix a broken weapon, **two** Item Gods had to be subdued. Those two Item Gods are pieces of the original Item God when the weapon was whole. In order to repair them, both had to be subdued, which means going into both pieces. This proved to be difficult since Laharl's forces would be split in two, but luckily, despite Gordon's brainless charge, they were able to subdue the Item Gods. Once both gods were subdued they became one and the pieces of the weapon reunited. In addition, since they were able to subdue many item generals, kings, and other important residents, Etna's spear became even stronger than before.

"You just have the attention span of a small fish…" Kurtis muttered. Of course, Gordon always has a good ear when it comes to someone putting him down.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY, KURTIS?"

Before they could shout further, Flonne put her arm in front of the bickering rivals, trying to calm them down. "Now now, at least we defeated the item god, and thanks to us, the spear Etna got from her father has finally been fixed. It's even stronger than before, right Etna-san? …Etna-san?"

However, Etna's eyes were glued to her spear. Her expression seemed a little different as well, because Etna wasn't oblivious to anything, but it seemed like she was lost in thought. However, those thoughts briefly left her mind as Flonne began to wave her hand in front of her. "Eh? Oh yeah, thanks."

Everyone noticed something different about Etna today, and usually different things meant something was up, especially when it comes to Etna. Being a little concerned, Jennifer asked her, "Are you alright?"

Etna nodded her and then yawned. "Yeah…I'm just a little tired…" Obviously no one bought it, but then again, everyone else seemed to be tired anyway. After all, they have been trying to destroy two item gods, which takes a lot of hard work.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little tired myself…" Laharl yawned. "Well, we'll retire for tonight, agreed?" Everyone nodded their heads and headed off to their rooms, resting their little heads for the next day.

"Ah, another beautiful day in the Netherworld." This was always Flonne's get up line. It was the usual routine in the morning: get up and leave the coffin early, gaze out into the Netherworld and look at the stars until everyone starts moving, make breakfast, and then finally start whatever everyone had planned for the day. While many demons would rather shoot themselves than do something so stupid, Flonne actually enjoyed every minute of it. She was, after all, a Love Freak so in turn she learned to love most things, with the exception of anything that goes against love itself or tries to hinder others. The only weird thing is that she's been sleeping in Laharl's coffin for over a month now. During the night, she has the awkward sleepwalking problem that could not be stopped. Laharl had been trying to prevent her from reaching the coffin, but it was impossible to go against her nature, and so he tried his best to get used to it.

Now that she was up, she went to open the coffin and go outside. However, as she tried to get up, she fell back down onto the cushioned floor of Laharl's coffin. She tried again, but only ended up falling back down, making her wonder what was causing her to fall. Then, she saw a small hand across her waist, which caused her eyes to widen at first but then she sweetly smiled and giggled. Laharl was clinging to her in sleep. It was kind of funny to see Laharl holding on to her, considering that this was Laharl we are talking about. _Aw…he's so cute when he sleeps…it just makes me want to k— _Then, Flonne's eyes began to widen as his face started moving closer towards hers. Flonne almost shrieked as his body began to overlap hers, preventing her from squirming out of it. With his face getting closer, the distant between their lips began to disappear. Flonne stared long into Laharl, almost in a trance as Laharl was about land a kiss on Flonne's lips. However, Flonne snapped out of her trance and began to feel a little more reluctant of it. _I can't! It must be a dream he's having! It's not right to for me to do this while he's sleeping! …and what's going to happen when he wakes up…I don't want that incident to happen again _(refer to episode 5)However, Laharl was unaware of what was going on, and continued to move closer to her. With each second, Flonne's heart was pounding, for she desired his kiss, but couldn't do it in these circumstances. However, their lips were almost touching now. It was now or never. Their faces had closed the distance. In that moment, Flonne placed a small tender kiss…

…on Laharl's forehead, leaving Laharl kissing nothing but air. After her lips parted from his forehead, Flonne awaited a response from Laharl, hoping that he wouldn't wake up. After a long pause, Laharl ended up falling on top of her. Flonne breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped off her sweat. _Phew…that was close…I don't want Laharl to get mad…but…I still wanted to kiss him…I guess a kiss on the forehead is all I can do… _That's when Flonne noticed something else. When Laharl's head dropped on top of Flonne, it dropped around a certain place. His head on that spot was making Flonne blush furiously, in both embarrassment and anger. Why? Because his head fell on her chest. She wanted to whack him, but his cute sleepy face kept her from doing it. His cute childish features drew her eyes on him as he continued to roll in his sleep. Suddenly, a small sound was uttered out of Laharl's mouth.

"Flonne…please…don't leave me…" Suddenly, Flonne's heart began to race as tears filled her eyes. She brought Laharl into a warm loving embrace. She knew how much her life meant to him, for he had been risking his life for her all this time. No matter how much Laharl denied it, Flonne was starting to see Laharl's true feelings. Finally, she decided to let go of him and leave the coffin. _Don't worry, Laharl-san. I'll never leave your side…_ At this time, she headed for the balcony, only to find someone already waiting for her.

"Etna-san…?"

As she turned around, Flonne was able to see the huge crescent grin on Etna's face. Unfortunately for her, Etna was able to see the pink color on Flonne's face. "You and the Prince are up to something, aren't you?"

"No! It's nothing like that!" The color of Flonne's blush deepened, which would only make the teasing worse.

However, Etna didn't seem to be around to tease her. "Are you sure? You two seem to be getting along a lot better lately, and he did do everything to save you from Setsuna." Flonne avoided her eyes from Etna, knowing that Etna was right. "Well, has the Prince told you about his true feelings?"

Flonne didn't know how to answer Etna. Etna didn't seem to be teasing her. In fact, her tone sounded more serious. In the end, she had to shake her head. "Well…no. Not yet. All I know is that he has been worried about me…that's all."

"But you love him, don't you?"

Once again, answering Etna was difficult for Flonne. Even if she was a Love Freak, disclosing her true feelings towards Laharl was difficult for her. It was embarrassing for her to tell Etna about her feelings, especially considering this was Etna. However, Etna sounded very serious about it. Flonne was too shy to tell her, but she didn't want to lie to Etna or anything. In the end, she decided to tell her. "…yes…yes, I love Laharl-san. Ever since I came to the Netherworld, I have been trying my very best to get Laharl-san to understand the meaning of love and friendship. I know that there were some failures, but I always gave it my best. But then…that one day we tried to get the Prinnies back…when you told me about how his mother died…every time I looked at him…I saw the eyes of a child who had lost a part of him. The more I stared at him…the more he got to me…and then…"

Flashback-

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, LOVE FREAK?" This was two years ago, when Laharl was hunting the Prinnies, who escaped in order to be reincarnated. At one point, he and Flonne were arguing, which ended up in him telling her to never speak to him. However, Etna had told Flonne about Laharl's dark past, in which his mother died, saving him from a disease. That story drove away Flonne's anger at Laharl, filling her heart with pity for the recently crowned Overlord. She wanted to drive that sadness, but Laharl would never face her after their argument. As they continued onward, Flonne's heart became heavy with the guilt of scolding him earlier. Then, in a desperate attempt to make amends to him…

"Laharl-san…I'm…so…sorry…" …she wrapped her arms around him so tightly, bring him into a warm embrace. Laharl, however, could not stand being hugged by the Angel Trainee and tried to squirm himself out of it.

"What the hell are you talking about now? Stop crying already!" However, Flonne just wouldn't let go of him. She kept her firm grip on him, which started to make him feel nauseated. "Get off me now before I—!" However, when he looked at Flonne again, he saw the face of a saddened little girl. Normally, he wouldn't care much about it, but this time, he felt his heart racing, which was a first for him. The more the tears streamed down her face, the more his heart began to ache. However, he didn't want to believe that he had one. No, he knew that he didn't have one to begin with…but then…what was this pain in his chest? Suddenly, he shoved Flonne off him, but his face was filled with both shock and confusion. He didn't know what was wrong with him. Instead, he ran towards the site of reincarnation. However, that first feeling of that heartbeat never left him.

Flonne watched Laharl head for the site of reincarnation, using the red moon as his guide. For the first time in her life, she felt love. Not the love she has been preaching, but a love that hid deep within her heart. _Laharl-san…_

End of Flashback

"I knew I felt something back then." Etna said, smirking as she reminisced earlier adventures.

"Tease me all you want now, Etna-san." Flonne murmured.

However, Etna began to chuckle. She seemed kind of different today, not like the usual Etna that always finds ways to bug her friends. "Don't worry, I'm not here to tease you. I'm just glad you were able to tell me." This really caught Flonne's attention. Normally, Etna would've run out of the room and scream it out for everyone to hear. This time, however, she seemed to act…more mature about it. "The thing is that ever since that time…I've noticed it too. While I didn't know exactly what love was, I just kept looking at you two. Originally, I didn't think it would happen, because I know the Prince. I know, he would never fall in love, because…he's too different from his father."

"You mean Krichevskoy-san?"

Etna nodded. "Yeah. Krichevskoy-sama, as I told you, fell in love with the witch Rayne, however, that was love at first sight. He, unlike the Prince, never started out as an obnoxious brat, to my knowledge at least. But then that time in Celestia…that battle with the Seraph…allowed me to see his true feelings. And then what Mid Boss said to us about you two being the knot and how there were two people involved in the plan to you unite you two. When he said that, I knew, for some reason, one of those two people was Krichevskoy-sama. When I kept thinking about it, I kept saying to myself, '_I want to help them too…to thank him for all he's done…_' So I kept watching you two, hoping that there would be any progress…but the Prince is always very stubborn and denies his feelings, which you sometimes do as well. What I'm trying to say is…to not be so offended when I tease you and Laharl-sama, because teasing you two is my only way to get you to stop denying your feelings…" That's when everything became deafly quiet. Flonne was astonished to hear all this from Etna. From the beginning, Flonne thought of Etna as like an older sister, who would tease her and Laharl every time they were together, but what she didn't realize was that she was really supporting them from the beginning.

That's when Flonne realized something. "Etna-san…is that why you keep pairing us together?"

'Hm? What do you mean?"

"Now that you've told me how you really feel, it's starting to make sense." Flonne looked out into the Netherworld horizon. The demon world arose from its slumber once again. "Pairing me up with Laharl-san during the teamwork training, making Laharl-san take me out during Thankstakings Day, even letting me sleep with him…it was all a plan to bring us close together, wasn't it?"

Etna nodded her head. "Yeah, I can see why you would be so suspicious over it. I'm sorry if I'm pushing you guys too hard."

However, Flonne didn't seem to be offended by Etna's plans to get her and Laharl together. In fact, she almost wanted to hug her for it.. "No, I'm actually glad that you're helping us. You see…after the battle with the Seraph, Laharl-san acted as if nothing happened. In a way, I'm glad that's how he feels, because I don't want him to continue to dwell on his painful past…but…after that…I couldn't tell whether or not he really cared for me. However, your plan to bring us together is starting to work. I can see more of Laharl-san's feelings fluctuating. It's as if half of himself was asleep during his two year nap. Now that other half is starting to awaken…so I want to say…thank you, Etna-san.

"Flonne-chan…" Soon Etna began to smile again, happy to see that Flonne was more gracious of Etna rather than angry with her, as well as seeing that her plan really was working. "No…thank you for understanding what I am trying to do. Hopefully…"

"Hopefully…what?"

"Oh nothing." Etna nervously replied. "I just want to let you know that even if you two get together…" Etna paused for a second and began to grin. Uh oh, not good for Flonne. "I will continue to tease you two until the day you two die."

A wave of panic suddenly rushed up Flonne's body, but she didn't want to shriek or scream too loud, since Laharl was still sleeping. In the end, she held up her pointer finger and, with a confused look on her face, said, "…you really scare me, Etna-san…"

Etna giggled, seeing the look on her face. "Hehehe…it's so much fun scaring you, Flonne-chan."

Soon, Flonne started remember something else from earlier. "Hey Etna-san, you were a lil down today when we came back from Aetna's Item World. Are you okay?" Etna, however, did not respond. She remained completely silent. "Was there something wrong with Aetna when it was fixed?"

"Oh, of course not!" Etna tried to reassure her. "The new Aetna is great! I can't thank you guys enough for fixing it…though I'd rather not say it in front of everyone else…" Flonne nervously giggled after hearing that last comment. "But really, I am grateful for it. It's just that…" Before she could say anything…

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A loud, ear piercing, hair raising scream came from within the room. The startled Flonne and Etna jumped in surprise as the scream continued to echo through the sky, shaking the ground.

Etna then eyed Flonne suspiciously. Her teasing senses knew that something was up and Flonne had the answer. "Flonne-chan…you didn't do anything naughty to the Prince, did you?"

Flonne waved her arms around madly in a panicky motion as her face began to flush again. "I didn't do anything to him! All I did was kiss him on the forehead!" That's when Flonne realized what she just said. She tried to hide her blush, which became a deep pink color.

Unfortunately for her, Etna was able to catch that last bit of information. Luckily, Etna decided not to talk about it. "I'll tease you all about it later. Let's go check on the Prince."

Since they were nearby, getting to Laharl was easy. However, when they got there, Laharl was in a panic as he darted all over the room. It seemed like he was in a frantic search for something as the two demons girls watched him race back and forth within the room. Finally, Flonne decided to ask him, "Um…Laharl-san, did you have a bad dream?"

That's when Laharl paused, and looked to see Flonne standing near his coffin. Suddenly, steam started spurting out of his ears. "Of course not, you Love Freak! Speaking of which, you kissed me on the forehead, didn't you? That's disgusting! You're washing that off once we're done here!"

Soon, Flonne's eyes began to light with angry fire as she snapped back at Laharl. "Well I wouldn't have done that if you hadn't tried to kiss me in your sleep!"

Laharl just stared at her for a minute before snapping back. "Y-yuck! W-why would I do that?"

"So you two have been having fun while we were fast asleep?" Etna finally jumped into the conversation.

As expected, Laharl was not happy to see Etna, especially considering the situation he was in now. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, ETNA?"

Etna winked at Laharl as she began to tease him again. "Now now, don't try and hide it now. Now I know you really are crazy over Flonne-chan!"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake as Laharl vented his anger at his head vassal, though his face was reddened. "I AM NOT! STOP INSISTING ON IT! THE TWO OF US ARE NOT COUPLE, END OF STORY! NOW TELL ME WHERE YOU'RE HIDING IT, YOU THIEF! "

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN'? I'M TALKING ABOUT MY CAPE! YOU STOLE MY CAPE, DIDN'T YOU?"

"I didn't steal your stupid cape!" Etna snapped back.

"IT'S NOT STUPID!"

"Now now…" Flonne began as she attempted to calm Laharl down. However, it only made him even angrier.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, LOVE FREAK! I BET YOU WERE THE ONE WHO STOLE IT!" Suddenly, Laharl felt a sharp pain on his cheek. When he felt it, he noticed that there was a bright red hand mark on it. Laharl looked up at Flonne's face, who just kept glaring at him. Seeing the angry look in her eyes, Laharl sighed and groaned, "Alright, sorry about that. Now do you know where my cape is?"

"Thank you, Laharl-san." Flonne cheerfully said, happy to know that Laharl has learned a bit. As for Laharl's question, Flonne didn't really have much of answer. "No, but I'm sure if we go out there, we can find it." Before she could go anywhere, she heard something slam shut. When she turned around, Laharl's coffin was shaking. "Laharl-san…?"

"G-go look for it. I'll be waiting…" Laharl nervously replied. This time, his voice sounded really shaky. There was obviously something wrong and Flonne knew it.

"Is there something wrong, Laharl-san?"

That's when Etna remembered something. Something very important as well as confidential. "Oh yeah, now I remember! It's the Prince's third and final weakness! Probably the biggest weakness of all!"

Of course, Flonne only knew of the first two weaknesses, so she was a little surprised to find that Laharl had one more, especially after the first two have been solved. "A third weakness?"

There was a large grin on Etna's face, meaning that this third weakness must really be Laharl's ultimate weak spot. "Yeah, there's one more weakness, and this was one that I was sworn not to tell. Only the closest of vassals were allowed to know this weakness. The Prince was lucky that I couldn't remember that one when Maderas stole my memories, nor could peer into them."

Curious in knowing this new weakness, Flonne asked her, "So what's the third weakness?"

Etna took a deep breath, knowing that Laharl would probably kill her if she were to say it. It was a good thing only Flonne was in the room though, so it was time to reveal the secret. "The Prince, unless Krichevskoy-sama, the queen, or myself are the only ones in a room with him, can't go out without his cape."

"Why is that?"

Etna peered to the side to see if anyone was around, and then whispered into Flonne's ear, "It's because he doesn't want anyone to see his back…"

This only led to confuse Flonne a bit as she rose her index finger and two small dots replace her big rose-red eyes. "Um…but why can't Laharl-san show his back? Those wings are cute!"

Suddenly, the coffin lid busted open, and coming out of the bed was a very disgruntled Laharl. "THEY ARE NOT CUTE! THEY ARE STUPID, DISGUSTING, AND WILL MAKE A LAUGHING STOCK OUT OF ME!"

Seeing that Flonne was confused, Etna decided to explain it more clearly. "The thing is, because the Prince was born from a demon and a human, his wings don't develop as quickly. That's why his wings are so small and don't seem to look like a demon's wings." This was pretty much true. Unlike the wings of demons such as Etna or even a Fallen Angel like Flonne, Laharl's wings were much smaller in comparison. What made this even worse was that it drooped down and not stick out, making it seem like his wings were dead. "In order to hide this problem, the Prince wears his cape at all times. That way no one really gets a glimpse of his back."

Still, Flonne seemed to disagree with Laharl's comments about his own wings. "But I still think they're cute!"

"Well apparently, not every demon is a Love Freak!" Laharl snapped back. Now he was pacing back and forth in his room, trying to come up with a way to leave his room without revealing his back. "What do I do? If this gets out, my title as Overlord will be ruined. I have to find some way to cover my back."

That's when Flonne finally got an idea. However, she was a little hesitant in telling Laharl her plan, but she had no choice. "Laharl-san…I have an idea, but you might not like it. Are you willing to go through with it?"

"I'LL DO ANYTHING TO COVER MY BACK! JUST TELL ME!"

Flonne took a deep breath. Laharl was definitely not going to like this. "Alright then…"

It's already been two hours in Glacial Terror. Everyone knew this spot as the coldest point in the Netherworld. Few enter this area, and even less reside here. Getting lost was almost a simple task in it's blanket of snow. However, getting lost was cake walk for one person.

"Crap…I'm lost…" That person was none other than the Dark Priest Setsuna, who has once again lost himself in the Netherworld for probably the eleventeenth time.

"YOU'RE ALWAYS LOSING YOURSELF! CAN'T YOU AT LEAST GET A MAP OR SOMETHING?" (Kuroko)

Sorry, but sometimes I like getting myself lost like this. It's kinda fun sometimes.

"YOU IDIOT!"

Before they could start an argument, Chiriko dove into the conversation with some surprising news. _'That energy, it feels so familiar…'_

Kuroko closed his eyes and agreed with him. _"Yeah, I feel it too. It feels too familiar…" _

Can it be…?

"Long time no see…shishou (master)…" Setsuna jerked his head to the side. Standing on top of a peak was an angel with snowy white hair and a white vest and baggy pants. The coldness of his features were unable to hide the fire in his amber eyes. The fire of

Yuki…

Back at the Overlord's Castle, there was a bit of a change as Laharl, Flonne, and Etna walked down the halls. Everyone they passed by seemed to be giddy with laughter. Even the serious one's like Ravens, Motoko, and Pailong couldn't hold their laughter in. . No matter who they passed, they all seemed to have the urge to laugh at the Overlord, which obviously did not please Laharl one bit. Finally, after passing all the other demons, they finally reached the one person they needed to see, Pleinar, his Dark Assembly secretary.

She, as everyone else did, took one good look at Laharl and covered her mouth to hold in her laughter. "My my Laharl-sama, you look so cute…or maybe I should say 'Flaharl-sama'!" Pleinar couldn't keep it in, and soon rolled on the floor laughing all the while.

Laharl gave Flonne a demonic glare. Flonne, who seemed to be missing her silk coat, simply shrugged. "I'm sorry, Laharl-san, but that's the only way we can cover your back. You do look very cute though in my silk coat."

Just as Flonne said, there was only one thing that could cover Laharl's wings, and that was her silk coat. Though Laharl kept refusing to put it on, there was no other item of clothing that could hide his wings, and walking around in his coffin would be silly, so he had no choice but to accept the silk coat. However, the silk coat looked almost ridiculous on Laharl, which of course led to laughs coming from his own vassals. Still, Laharl had to be thankful, since it would've been worse if his wings were revealed. "Okay, I know that much…but…WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO MY HAIR IN A RIBBON? I DON'T THINK I NEEDED A RIBBON ON MY HEAD!"

"Oh, I just thought the ribbon would match the silk coat. They make you look sooooo cute!."

Laharl was now fuming with anger. Nothing could keep him from destroying the blonde demon in front him. "YOU LOVE FREAK!"

Before he could do anything, Pleinar, getting up from the floor, stopped him and handed him an envelope. "By the way, I got another letter from someone. It's addressed specifically to you, and the dimensional portal leading to its origin has been opened, so if you would like to meet the sender then you're welcomed to do so." Laharl snatched it from her hands and began to read the letter to himself.

Dear Overlord,

I'm sure you're wondering where you cape is by now. Well guess what? We stole it! That's right! We now have possession of your cape, and if you ever want to show your face in the Netherworld again, you must meet us in our secret hideout in the Marsh of Nightmares. We wish the tradeoff of the cape to be fair and civilized. We look forward to seeing you there.

Love…

Laharl took one good look at the sender, and soon a fiery red aura surrounded his entire body. His eyes were now blazing red, with fury. Laharl's blood was boiling as rage soared over its limit like a malicious meteor ready to strike anyone in a wide radius. These features could only mean one thing: someone was going to die and Laharl isn't going to give that someone any mercy. "'FAIR AND CIVILIZED?' EVEN IF IT IS THE DEMON WAY, THIS CROSSES THE LINE! IT'S TIME TO SETTLE THIS ONCE FOR ALL! WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH THEM THEY'RE REGRET EVER CROSSING! NO MERCY TO THE ANYONE WHO STEALS MY CAPE! As Laharl stomped away in probably his greatest outburst yet, the message slowly fell in front of Etna. She caught it, and began reading it to herself. Soon, Etna let out a sigh.

"You won't believe who wrote this…"

"Who is it?" Flonne asked, curious to know who it came from.

"Take a look…" Etna handed Flonne the letter, who read it over. The final words of the letter detailed, in beautiful penmanship, the names of the two thieves:

Love your beautiful friends,

Vyers 'Mid-Boss', the Dark Adonis and Kirei, the Mysterious Aphrodite also known as the Duo of Darkness and Beauty

About an hour later, Laharl and everyone was at the Marsh of Nightmares. Everyone except Gordon, Jennifer, Kurtis, and Thursday. Today was obviously not Laharl's day. In just a few short hours after waking up, he got his cape stole, had to wear Flonne's silk coat, got laughed at by all his vassals, got his hair turned into a bow, and worst of all, let Etna know that he kissed Flonne. Even now, it seems that his run of bad luck wouldn't stop, for his vassals couldn't stop laughing, even if the bow was gone, and four of his vassals were missing, and they were some of his best.

"Those were nothing but excuses…" Laharl groaned, as he smacked his forehead. "That friggin Slayer and his group are probably lounging around…"

Flonne, however, disagreed. "I don't know about that, Laharl-san. Didn't you see the pain of Jennifer-san's face?"

Flashback

"Alright everyone! Today, we're gonna storm into the Marsh of Nightmares and…STOP LAUGHING ALREADY!" Laharl, however, couldn't control them. He was announcing the target of this special 'mission'. He had already gotten rid of his 'hair-bow', but he still had the silk coat, which he needed to hide his wings. Still, this caused his own vassals to continue laughing. The childish Magic and Missile Squad, including Hiroshi, and the Earth/Netherworld Defenders were already bursting in laughter, while his more disciplined Youkai Suicide Force covered their mouths to hold their laughter in. Etna and Aramis were able to hide their laugh, but the big grins on their faces couldn't stay hidden. The only one not laughing was Flonne. She just had a cheerful smile on her cute face as always. "Okay, forget the plans! Flonne, Etna, Aramis, the Slayer of the Netherworld and his troupe, and I will go in while you guys surround the base. If needed, commence a siege on the base, got it?"

However, Steilhang couldn't hold it in anymore. "Okay…L-laharl-s-sama…prrrrt…" Soon, everyone burst into laughter once again, angering Laharl once more. Laharl began to think that wearing Flonne's silk coat might not be worth it, when suddenly, he heard a low groan. Everyone heard it, but didn't know where it was coming from, until they saw a blonde haired woman kneeling on the ground.

Gordon, concerned about her, kneeled down to check on her. "Jennifer, are you alright?"

Jennifer tried to smile a bit, trying to hide her pain. "I'm fine, Gordon. I guess I'm tired or something…"

Gordon couldn't assume whether she was telling the truth or not, but Thursday obviously knew the truth. Being concerned about his creator, Thursday turned on his scanner. "Blip beep! Scanning for any anomalies, bodily dysfunctions, or possible threats to body." Suddenly, a small alarm began to beep on Thursday. "Scan complete! Jennifer is…" However, Thursday paused as he looked at Jennifer. There was a grim look on her face as she shook her head, pleading Thursday to stop. Though he was a robot, Thursday practically had a heart and knew exactly why Jennifer doesn't want her secret to be let out. "…going to be alright. She just needs rest, blip beep."

"Are you sure?"

That's when Kurtis also noticed the pain on Jennifer's face, so he tried to reassure Gordon. "Yeah. She's going to be fine. She just needs some rest and something to eat." Kurtis was all too familiar of what Jennifer was going through, for the same thing happened to his wife…

Gordon sighed, but he agreed with them. "Fine, but I want to stay with Jennifer too. I'm not going on the mission."

As expected, Laharl did not really approve of this. "You're my vassal, Slayer! I won't allow you to get out of this even if—" However, he was interrupted by the one person who believes in love and caring.

"Laharl-san! Don't you understand that Gordon-san! is deeply concerned about Jennifer-san?"

"Shut up, Love Freak! We have to get my cape back no matter what!" Laharl shouted back at Flonne, not wanting to give in. "Besides, I have to give you back your silk coat!"

However, Flonne still rejected Laharl's demand. "You can keep it if you want, that's fine with me, but Jennifer-san is ill and Gordon-san is worried. He needs to stay by her side because…"

"…of love, right?" Flonne nodded in reply, just as Laharl expected. Laharl sighed, knowing that he was wasting his time here. "Fine, we'll leave you here, but I'm going to double your chores when I get back, got it?"

"Fine." Gordon replied. The chores didn't matter at this time. The only thing that mattered was that his sidekick was ill and he needed to be by her side.

"Well Prince, is that everything?" Etna finally asked him.

"Yeah. Let's go!"

End of Flashback

"It's a waste of time arguing about this again." Etna told the two. "We should just head to the base."

"Yeah, but we have to find it first." Laharl said.

That's when Flonne spotted something. "Hey, is that it?" Everyone turned to where Flonne was pointing. Several feet away, in the dark and damp Marsh of Nightmares, was a humongous fortress. It was a dazzling royal purple colored castle with lights strung all over it, making it illuminate in the darkness of the gloomy swamp. It was surrounded by a huge walls, but the gate seemed to be open. On top of the oddly bright fortress was a sign that read **'Welcome to Castle of Magnificence: Home of the Dark Adonis and the Mysterious Aphrodite, the Duo of Darkness and Beauty'** Everyone looking at the fortress in front of them nearly fell over, though each one had a big sweat drop on their heads.

"Wow… they're arrogant, aren't they…?" Etna sarcastically said.

Laharl, of course, started to lose his patience with the two. Now that he had been made a laughing a stock thanks to their thievery, they were now mocking him by acting like fools. "Those fools are just mocking me! We'll just have to run in there and bash their heads. Remember the plan everyone. Stay outside and wait until Steilhang gives the signal. Flonne, Etna, Aramis, let's go in and kick some ass!" With everything set, Laharl charged in with Flonne, Etna, and Aramis trailing behind him. Little did they know, Mid Boss and Kirei had something in store for them.

The four demons quietly sneaked into the fortress, taking their time to see if there were any traps. They hadn't encountered anything yet, but they still took their time, knowing no demon would leave their castle unguarded. The fortress, however, looked just as magnificent as they sign said it did. The halls were coated in a royal purple gloss and everything just seemed to be beautiful…well to Flonne that is. Etna only like the place because the goods were ripe for stealing, and Laharl began to have a headache as he experienced some kind of déjà vu. Finally they reached a suspicious door. They slowly opened it to see what was inside. However, two familiar demons were waiting for them.

"Come on in!" A sassy voice called from behind the door.

However, Laharl was reluctant to charge in there, knowing that there still might be some traps. "Forget it! You're planning something, aren't you? You probably have a trap door in the floor or something."

"Prince, that's the oldest trick in the book! No one would be stupid enough to fall for it, much less use it!"

"Oh shut up, Etna!"

Soon, the sassy voice began to speak up again. "What trap? We just built this castle. We didn't even have enough time to create any traps or even get enough guards." The instant the voice finished his sentence, the door busted open, and standing in the way was Laharl, with eyes full of anger. He stared angrily at the two demons in front of him: Mid Boss and Kirei.

"You send a letter demanding that I waste my time here with no traps? What kind of demons are you?"

"A beautiful bishonen-like demon!" Mid Boss arrogantly replied. Soon, rose petals began to fall from the sky as a lively glow covered his body. "But being beautiful is too easy for moi, for I am the Dark Adonis!"

Soon, Kirei entered the fray. "And I too am beautiful! It's in my name after all (Kirei means 'beautiful' in Japanese btw). Smart, pretty, and down right sexy, I assist the lovely Mid Boss in his affairs! Who am I? I'm Kirei, the Mysterious Aphrodite!"

"And together…"

"We are…"

"THE DUO OF DARKNESS AND BEAUTY! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" In that instant, both Mid Boss and Kirei posed together as light illuminated their bodies and burst forth. Soon, some flamingo music began to play as they continued to pose until they pulled off a final pose that made the light shine at it's brightest. It was almost as if Mid Boss and Kirei were having their own concert within that room. After their little light show finally finished, Mid Boss turned to Kirei and dully asked her, "Did you have to use 'Mid Boss' again…?"

"But I like that name!"

"And I, the Overlord, gave it to you, you fool!" Laharl finally interjected, not impressed by their flashy flamboyant show. "And did you make us come here just to see your little light show?"

"Aw…but I thought it was cool!" Flonne exclaimed with the burning eyes of fan girl on her face.

"You are just stupid as they are…" Etna muttered with a sweat drop on her head.

"Let's not forget dense…" Aramis added.

"Quiet back there!" Laharl demanded. "We have something to settle!"

"Yeah, like how magnificent we are!" Kirei exclaimed as she winked at Laharl.

"NO! I'M TALKING ABOUT MY CAPE!" Laharl vented out his anger. Today was definitely not his lucky day.

"Cape? Ah yes, your cape. No wonder you were wearing that cute silk coat. I thought you were planning to cosplay the mademoiselle. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Mid Boss and Kirei began to laugh at Laharl's current attire, which of course angered Laharl very much. Now even Laharl's enemies were laughing at him.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY! GIVE ME BACK MY CAPE NOW!" Laharl tried to go over and slice Mid Boss, but Flonne, Etna, and Aramis did their best to repress Laharl's rage.

"So you want your cape back?" Mid Boss asked him.

"YES!"

Kirei then brought out a red cloth. Pieces of it were tattered and it was extremely long, but Laharl knew what it was. It was his all too famous cape. "Okay, we'll give it back to you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"No tricks or blackmail?"

"Of course not, that would be underhanded and dirty."

"Wow, that was easier than I thought." After Flonne, Etna, and Aramis let go of Laharl, he walked towards the two sassy demons. Flonne, Etna, and Aramis followed him. Then, a few feet away from Mid Boss and Kirei…

"Okay maybe we lied about something…" …a trap door opened in the floor. A trap door that was right under Laharl, Flonne, Etna, and Aramis' feet.

There was only one thing that Laharl could say in this situation as he hovered in the air for the remaining seconds of air time he had left. "I hate you…" In that instant, Laharl, Flonne, Etna, and Aramis fell to their doom, screaming all the way.

Mid Boss and Kirei watched the four of them fall, listening to the falling whistling sound, which ended with a loud thud. The two kept looking down that large hole, trying to spot the four. A smile crept upon their faces, confident about their opponent's abilities. _This test may be one of the most difficult challenges you'll ever face. We hope…no…we are confident that you can make it through this so prove us that we are correct…Laharl, Flonne, Etna…_

"Great…I fell for the oldest trick in the book…" Laharl groaned from his fall. He checked himself for any injuries, but there didn't seem to be any. However, there was an odd feeling in his body. That's when he noticed something by his feet. He kneeled down and picked it up. It looked very familiar. It pure white petals, just like… _Flonne's flower… _He surveyed his surroundings. There were fields of flowers, surrounded by the cherry blossom trees. Over him was the bright sun, shinning in the blue sky, which was covered in puffy white clouds. This scene was all too familiar to Laharl. _That nightmare I had…_

"Laharl-san…" That's when his antenna hair began to stand on it ends. The voice he heard was familiar, but it was more of a seductive coo coming from behind. Laharl feared what was coming, but decided to look anyway. What he saw was probably the thing he feared the most. It was a monster with blonde hair and red eyes with the intent of strangling him to death. Those eyes of hers spelled nothing but trouble. Her hands and legs, while soft and beautiful, were her tools to destroying purity. And then there was the greatest weapon of all. The two rounded melons that were covered by her silk coat. These features belonged to only one person.

"THE SEXY FLONNE FROM MY NIGHTMARE!" Indeed it was. Probably his biggest weakness of all time, this vision of Flonne had a much more sexier body, which included a bigger bust, and a sly seductive attitude, not to mention platitudes. Even though he conquered his weakness, he still cannot stand against the two of them together, especially since they are on Flonne. Laharl did not want to believe it. "IT'S A DREAM, ISN'T IT! TELL ME IT IS FLONNE!"

However, the wink they sexy Flonne gave didn't reassure Laharl at all. "Of course it is Laharl-kun. It is our Eternal Dream. What am I now IS exactly what you wanted."

"IT IS NOT!"

"Oh c'mon. Don't be shy, Laharl-kun. However, I think it's about time we turn this dream into a reality. After all, you don't want to be a little boy any longer."

However, the sexy Flonne was making Laharl inch away from her even more, fearing that he might lose something important to him. "N-no, that's fine!"

"It's time that you learn the true meaning of love, Laharl-kun. It's time I make you mine." There was nothing Laharl could do at this point. He was against his biggest weakness, after all. There was only one thing left for him to do.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" And it was to get his ass out of there. However, if Laharl thought he could get away, he had another thing coming.

"Etna-san! Etna-san wake up!" Etna slowly opened her eyes. When her vision began to clear, she was able clearly see the boy at her side, Aramis. "Good, you're finally awake."

"Nnn…yeah…I can't believe we fell for such a clichéd trap…" Etna groaned as she tried to get herself up from the ground. That's when she noticed surroundings. "This place…" Her current environment was bleak, with no signs of life, only chaos. An occasional volcano erupted from beneath the earth. It was desolated land, that was stained by the blood of many.

"I'm just as confused as you are, Etna-san. I don't know how we got here, but this is obviously the Eternal Apocalypse." It's only been a few days, and Etna found herself back in this dreadful land of unprecedented terror.

That's when Etna noticed a couple of demons were missing as she looked around. "Hey, where did the Prince and Flonne-chan go?"

Aramis shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't know. All I know is that we were falling together and then somehow got separated."

"Well, we have to find them and get out of here!" Just as Etna was about to leave, a dreadful feeling crept up her spine. A familiar presence was lurking around the place, and it was giving Etna the chills. "Who's there?"

"It's only been a few days, and yet you have already forgotten me?" Her eyes widened for that voice was all to familiar. This mysterious figure was now standing before her with the vicious intent in his devious amber eyes. Matching his demonic appearance was his fiery red hair and blood red scarf flowing through the air. In his hand was the vicious katana, one that sliced through the bodies of many. It was the legend that caused an era of chaos to the Netherworld.

"Kuroko!" It was indeed Kuroko, the great legend that brought an era of chaos to the universe and almost destroyed Etna in battle. This demonic hitokiri was now headed toward her.

"Stay away from Etna-san!" Aramis tried to charge at Kuroko, but Kuroko simply smacked him away with his sheath. It was only one hit, but it was strong enough to knock out Aramis.

"If you value your life, you will stay still." Now Kuroko's full attention was on Etna. "Etna…this time…you WILL be mine." Rather than staying still, Etna started to run. Normally, Kuroko would easily catch her, but he decided to play along and simply walk towards her, trying prolong the torture. Etna knew exactly what was going on. _It's just like the dream…if I let him catch me then…_

"Nnnnn…what happened…?" Flonne's eyelids slowly opened. As she tried to pick herself up, she felt the ground. It was cold and hard like obsidian. She held her forehead, running her fingers through her blonde bangs as she tried to remember what happened. "I remember I was with Laharl-san…trying to get back his cape from Mid Boss-san and Kirei-san, then what happened? …oh yeah! We fell down that trap door!" However, Flonne noticed something as she took a glimpse of the place. "But if that's true…then…where is everyone?" Then she noticed something else. "This place! It can't be…this is the Sacred Altar…" She looked around again. It was definitely the Sacred Altar, the final chamber in Celestia where Laharl and Seraph Lamington dueled to the finish. It was the place where both Flonne and Vulcanus received their punishment and caused Laharl to draw out a vengeful monster. It was here that Flonne had been transformed into a Fallen Angel, thanks to Laharl's mercy. "But what am I doing here? I was supposed to be in the Castle of Magnificence in the Marsh of Nightmares." Suddenly, her eye spotted something. There were two figures in the distance. One was on the ground, lying in a puddle, the other was standing over him. Flonne, however, could easily recognize the standing one, for his antenna-like hair and red scarf was too much of an indicator. "Laharl-san!" Flonne ran up to the young Overlord, glad to see that he was alright, and now wearing his cape again. "Laharl-san, you defeated Mid Boss-san and got your cape back! I'm so happy for you!" However, there was no response from Laharl. It was deafly quiet. "Laharl-san...?" Flonne touched his shoulder, but Laharl forcefully shrugged it off. "Laharl-san, what gotten into you?" That's when Flonne realize what that man in the puddle was. It wasn't a puddle of water, but a puddle of blood, and that man wasn't Mid Boss. It was an angel with long silvery hair and a very baggy attire. His wings, however, were cut off, but Flonne knew exactly who it was, for this was someone she truly admired. "Lamington-sama! Laharl-san, why are you…?"

Finally, Laharl made a response, but it was one that made Flonne dread in fear. "…die…all angels…must…die…"

Flonne was utterly shocked. Not only did Laharl kill her mentor, but he was now uttering a dreadful thought. She shook Laharl, in hopes to snap him out of it. "Laharl-san, what's wrong?" Instead, Laharl pushed her away. When he faced her, she couldn't believe her eyes: Laharl's eyes had become a terrifying bloody red and his entire body glowed with an ominous aura, a rage with the intent to kill. Now, he pulled out his sword, and brandished it in front of Flonne.

"All you angels took her from me…now you must all perish…."

"But Laharl-san, it's me! Flonne!"

But not even Flonne's voice could reach him. "You're not Flonne…Flonne was an angel trainee murdered by that friggin Seraph! All I see before me is nothing but a Fallen Angel blocking my path, and since you're an angel, I WILL kill you!" Terrified of the monster before Flonne ran away from Laharl as fast as her legs could take her. However, Laharl wasn't going to let up. "I'm not letting you get away! Overlord's Wrath!" The summoned fireballs smashed a few inches in front of Flonne. The force of the attack blew Flonne backwards near Laharl. Once in range, Laharl swiped at Flonne with his sword. Flonne was able to roll out of it, but it able to nick her shoulder.

She didn't want to fight him, but there was no other choice. With Laharl's mind blocked out, her voice could not reach him. Flonne pulled out her angelic staff once again as she gripped her wounded shoulder. With no choice but to fight, Flonne charged holy energy into her hands. Once she had enough energy, she let out in numerous arrows of light. "Holy Arrows!" As just as the arrows were about to reach him, Laharl took his free hand and simply deflected the attack. His tactic surprised Flonne as her Holy Arrows simply scattered away. With Flonne distracted, Laharl charged at her grabbed her by the neck. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the young angel.

"Don't worry, I will not torture you." Laharl groaned as his body began to burn in crimson flames. "I will make this quick and painless."

Flonne stared into the eyes of her executioner. What she saw was a boy who had lost the one who touched his heart years after it was broken. The sadness of losing a love one had brought out his full rage, turning compassion into hate. However, within his rage lied the deep sadness and regret. A glimpse of the red moon was still in his eyes. _It's not too late…I can still… _With his grip on her neck, it became hard to speak, but she tried her best. "L-laharl-s-san…p-please…r-remember the love she showed you…"

However, it only caused Laharl to snap back at her. "Love? Love is the reason why Flonne and mom are dead! A demon like me doesn't need nor deserve love! Why should I care about it?"

"B-because…it was love…that allowed you defeat the Seraph…" Suddenly, Laharl released his grip on Flonne and clutched his forehead, crying out in pain.

"SHUT UP! I DON'T NEED ANOTHER LOVE FREAK TO TELL ME ABOUT IT! FINE, I WON'T KILL YOU! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" However, Flonne refused to. Instead, she brought him into a warm embrace. His face, pressed against her chest, emblazoned in confusion. Suddenly, the crimson flames started to disappear as well as the ominous glow in his skin. Then, a new type of warmth swam through his body: passion.

"Laharl-san, if you love her so much, then you will discontinue your rage. If you continue to do this, she will get upset."

"Does it even matter…?" Laharl drearily replied. "With her gone, there's nothing I can do. I'm sure I'm gonna be killed once the angels find out I've killed their Seraph. What's the point in going on with that love crap…?"

"I know how you feel…" Flonne sadly replied. "Losing a loved one would be hard on anyone…but even then, you should continue to believe in it. If you continue to bring yourself down, you'll bring down the people around you. Etna-san and all your other vassals want you to continue to rule as their Overlord. If you rule with love in your heart, you will be a great Overlord. I should know. Even though you deny it, ever since you saved my pendant, you have always fought for my sake."

At that moment, Flonne felt a tear around her chest. She looked down at Laharl. His blood red eyes were gone. What was left were the shinning red moon eyes, the pools of red that he was meant to have. "You really are the Love Freak…Flonne…"

"Don't worry, Laharl-san." Flonne reassured him. "I'm here for you." With that, she pressed Laharl against her chest, giving him a warm hug. However, even if it was Laharl, she knew that this wasn't it appeared to be. _I'm beginning to remember now. About a week after the incident in Celestia, I've been having a nightmare similar to this. Laharl-san would lose control and start going on a rampage in which he killed many in his path, including myself. Every time I'd wake up, my cheeks would be damp from tears. Then, one day Laharl-san came into my room and told me… _

"Look, if you stop crying, then maybe I'll tell you why I didn't lose control. As I was about to kill the Seraph, your annoying voice started ringing through my head, telling me to give your dear Seraph mercy. What I'm trying to say is that you kept me from killing him, so stop crying already and get up! I'm hungry!"

Even if Laharl-san said that to make me cook, I'm still grateful for what he said. After that, I never had these nightmares again. So maybe, the Laharl-san I'm hugging is not really him. Either way, I'm glad to help him realize who he is. He will turn out to be a great Overlord.

Suddenly, everything around her became white. Then, at that moment, Laharl uttered one last thing as a soft smile graced his lips. "Thank you, Flonne…now please go find the real me…"

Flonne opened her eyes again. This time, her surroundings were murky. In fact, she was covered in some mud, but it didn't seem to stain her clothes or hair. "Now where am I? I was just in the Sacred Altar and now I'm in this swamp." She searched for sign but there was none. It looked like Flonne lost herself, but she kept wondering how she got here. That's when she realized something. _Wait, didn't the Seraph say something about this place? _

'The Fountain of Dreams is one of the most mysterious places in Celestia. Those who swim in the fountain's waters allow them to feel their most precious dreams. It is place where anything a person can wish for can happen, but only within those waters. However, where there are dreams, there are nightmares, and the Netherworld has a place of its own that is opposite of the Fountain of Dreams. This place is known as…'

The Marsh of Nightmares! Of course! That's why I ended up in the Sacred Altar! It took my worst nightmare and turned it into a reality. So this must be Mid Boss-san and Kirei-san's true trap. They want to keep us in here and let our thoughts destroy us. But why…? Flonne took a minute to think about her current situation, but she couldn't make sense out of it. Was there a reason why Mid Boss and Kirei would do this to them? Then, it finally hit her. _Wait, Setsuna-san said… _

'Lamington-san once told me that you and Laharl-kun are the knot that will unite the two worlds. I'm here to test the power of your bond…'

It was actually Mid Boss-san that told us that…so then they must be trying to test us too! Well, it looks like I passed that one. If we want to pass this test, I must find Laharl-san, Etna-san, and Aramis-san quickly…but how? It's so dark and murky. There's no way I can find him through this place.

It was true. Her current predicament is set in place where the floor is made of mud, and it was surrounded by weeds and scary willow trees. There was hardly any light, which made it even harder to find anything. Then, something occurred to her. _I can feel the power of my pendant nearby. It must be Laharl-san! I should find him first! _She looked around until she found a lump of mud nearby. The shape was very familiar she couldn't be sure if it was him…that is until she saw something glowing. She could easily tell what it was. "It's the pendant! Laharl-san must be under the mud!" She tried to shake Laharl, but he wouldn't budge. The mud was too hard. "But how? I got out of my nightmare so why can't Laharl-san get out of his? …maybe…he has to conquer it in order to get out! Of course! That's how I got out of mine! Maybe if I were to help him, he might get out faster, but how do I get inside his nightmare?" Suddenly, the pendant began to glow again. A smile graced Flonne's lips, for she knew exactly what the pendant is trying to say. "Thank you for helping us so much, my pendant." Flonne then placed her hand on the pendant, and awaited the entrance to Laharl's nightmare.

"STOP IT! FOR THE LAST TIME, I DON'T HAVE FEELINGS FOR A SEXY DITZ LIKE YOU!" No matter how much Laharl yelled, the erotic Flonne before him kept inching towards him.

"Oh c'mon Laharl-san, you're going to make me cry. If you keep doing that, I may leave."

"That's exactly what I want you to do!" Laharl snapped back, backing himself against a tree.

"The more you deny your feelings the more distant I'll become, until I'll finally be gone. Is that what you really want?"

That's when Laharl was caught in total silence. Even if this was nothing but a dream, what she said could be true. If Laharl were deny his true feelings in further, he may end up losing someone so precious to him in the end. However, he felt that if kept denying his feelings, the sexy Flonne would leave him…but even though she had sexier body, he had no idea of knowing whether or not this Flonne was the real one. Suddenly a voice started ringing through his head. The voice sounded familiar, almost alluring. That's when he realized who it was.

'Laharl-san…please don't leave me…' I remember saying the same thing in my dream…it was about both my battles with the Seraph and that Dark Priest. In both those battles, Flonne was taken from me. In my battle against Seraph…I had almost lost her because of his punishment…I was only fortunate that I spared his life…but then I became even more horrified when I destroyed Setsuna…because unlike the Seraph…I was unable to bring her back…as their bodies dissipated…I saw Flonne enveloped in a strange light that pulled her away. I kept holding on…but I knew it was futile. I remember now…at the end of the dream…I said… 'Flonne…please…don't leave me…'

"No…I don't want you to leave me, Flonne. Even if this is a dream…" Suddenly, the sexy Flonne pounced on Laharl. Her body was now on top of his, sending chills down Laharl's body. "I SAID I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE! I SAID NOTHING ABOUT LOVE OR ANYTHING!"

"Oh c'mon, Laharl-san…I told you stop denying your feelings. Just let me give you one small kiss." Laharl was about to object, but Flonne's face was getting closer to his. Soon, her lips were a few centimeters away. Laharl tried to squirm out, but he was restrained against her body. Then a sudden feeling of passion filled his entire body. Soon, he was trapped in a trance that even the Overlord could not escape from. Their faces were closing in as they chased away the distance between their lips until the impact finally occurred. However, there was something awkward about the kiss. Even though he had gotten used to Flonne's alluring scent, he knew that lips didn't feel like a soft hand. _Wait a minute… _That's when Laharl realized what he was really kissing. It was someone's hand, a soft one. When he looked up to see who it was, he reacted in confusion.

"Hey, how come your dream gets to be a good one, Laharl-san?" A sweet voice whined. As his eyes moved up the slender legs, he came across something that looked like a bathing suit, similar to the character who he was supposed to be kissing. The difference was that the chest area was flat. However, as his eyes moved further up, the face was the same. Those ruby red eyes, the long flowing blonde, and the big red ribbon on her head belonged to only one person.

"FLONNE? BUT I THOUGHT…THEN…WHO…WHAT…ARRRRGGGGH! WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"My my…you two were having fun…weren't you?" Even though Flonne was smiling, Laharl could tell that there was anger in her words, which was especially indicated by the popping vain on her forehead.

"YOU DITZ! HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT SHE WASN'T YOU?"

Then, the sexy Flonne interjected, entering the conversation. "Hey, that wasn't very nice! Why did interrupt our moment?" However, her only response was the real Flonne grabbing her by the tail and tossing her to the side. In response, the sexy Flonne pulled out her staff and whacked the real Flonne with it on the face. The real Flonne then pulled out her staff and began to whack the sexy Flonne repeatedly, until the Sexy Flonne pushed her off.

The ensuing cat fight only confused Laharl even more. "Before you two beat the flowers out of your heads, can you please answer my question and TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

Both Flonnes then paused for a second, and discontinued their brawl. They decided to tell Laharl what was going on…starting with the sexy Flonne. "Well, you know, after our kiss, we were about to continue with something else until SHE came!" She waved her finger at the real Flonne, who simply stared at her with a dull look on her face.

"Well, I wanted to protect Laharl-san from losing his innocence to a fake me!"

"FAKE!"

Just as the Sexy Flonne was about to burst out in anger, Laharl interjected into the conversation. "Wait, what do you mean fake?"

Now that she finally had Laharl's attention, the real Flonne told him what this place really was. "The place we're in is the Marsh of Nightmares, right? Have you ever heard of a secret place in the Netherworld that allows your nightmares to become a reality?"

Laharl thought of it for a minute, and then nodded. "Yeah, so what about it?" Then, Laharl finally got exactly what Flonne was saying. "Wait…so you're saying that this is all in my head?"

"Yeah, we're still in the Marsh of Nightmares! This is Mid Boss-san's trap!"

That's when Laharl began grit his teeth. His blood was now boiling red, which indicated by his the redness of his skin. "GRRRRRRR! FIRST MY CAPE NOW THEY'RE USING MY NIGHTMARES! I'M GONNA KILL THEM! C'MON, LET'S GET OUTTA HERE!" Just as he was about to leave, he heard some sniffling. It was coming from the Sexy Flonne. "Hey, what is it?"

"So…you're not going to stay with me?"

"Get real, Sexy Love Freak, you're not even real! The true Love Freak is the one standing next to you, since she's the one who doesn't have her silk coat and has the flattest chest!" Flonne cringed when he uttered that last comment but did her best to remain composed. "Now c'mon Love Freak!"

However, the real Flonne was reluctant to join him. Instead, she bent over to the tearful Sexy Flonne, who now had a puddle of tears around her. "You may not be the real me, but you care about him just as much as I do, don't you?"

The Sexy Flonne nodded as she used a part of her silk coat to wipe off her tears. "Yes, even if my memories are fake, I've always wanted to be with him…but now that's not possible…I keep trying show him my love…but he keeps rejecting it…"

"I really envy you, my other half." That's when the Sexy Flonne put her attention on the real one. She didn't expect such an answer to come from the real Flonne. "It's just that…unlike myself…you can clearly show your true feelings…I can't…even though I'm a Love Freak…I can never show him my love for him…I can never…"

"Don't say that!" The Sexy Flonne interjected, grabbing hold of the real Flonne's shoulders. "If I know myself, I never give up on anything, even if Laharl-san was rejecting love. I knew from the moment I declared that I would observe Laharl-san and try to change him, it was going to be a difficult mission. At one point, I almost gave up, but I kept going, and now he's feeling less resistant towards it, so please don't give up!"

Flonne couldn't believe it. She was teaching herself not to give up. It was almost confusing, but she listened to every word her counterpart said. Soon, her sweet smile graced her lips once again, and her eyes began to shine. "You're right. I should keep going no matter what happens. That's who I've been from the very beginning."

The Sexy Flonne then began to smile as well. "Good, now you'd better go." As Flonne stood up and began to follow Laharl, the Sexy Flonne stood up and called out to Laharl, "Laharl-san, please take care of my counterpart, alright? Otherwise, I'll haunt your dreams forever!"

Since Laharl did not want that to happen, he turned to the Sexy Flonne and gave her a thumbs up. "Fine…don't appear in my dreams again."

The two Flonnes giggled. Before they left, however, the Sexy Flonne ran up to them with a mischievous smile on her face, and it looked like the same one Etna has when she has a plan. Uh oh. "Oh Flonne-chan, one more thing!" Just as the Real Flonne turned to the Sexy Flonne, the Sexy one started locking lips with the Real one. Her eyes widened in both shock and insecurity as the Sexy one's tongue drove in her mouth. Rather than pulling back, the Real Flonne let her continue it for a few minutes. Laharl, on the side, watched them with widened eyes, his jaw dropped, and his face totally flushed. Though he didn't want to show it, there was something odd about that scene that made him feel a little weird. Almost as if he were…turned on by it. However, the scene he had just witnessed was probably the one thing that will haunt him forever. He had been scarred for life.

Soon, their surrounding scene turned white and then brown. Suddenly, something had risen from the mud. "YUCK! THAT WAS GROSS!" Laharl began to use the mud to wash face and eyes, hoping that it would cleanse of that scene, but all it did was make his eyes sting. "AAARRGGGH! MY EYES! THEY BLIND!" Luckily, a certain someone was around to wipe it off his face. "Oh thanks, Flonne. But seriously, did you have to do that?"

"But that wasn't my fault! She was the one who kissed me!"

"Still, that was gross!" Laharl shook his head, trying to get that awkward scene out of his mind. After finally recomposing himself, he tried to observe his surrounding. "So this is the true Marsh? The one that makes all nightmares a reality. Heh…so those fools think they can scare me into giving up? Well they have another thing coming, cuz now I'm pissed off and ready to grind them into dust!"

Of course, our love loving angel did not approve of that one bit. "Hey, that's very cruel!"

"Ugh…fine, I MIGHT grind them into dust. Better?"

"Yeah, a little better, but we still have to find Etna-san and Aramis-san."

"True…but how can we find them?" Laharl wondered. "It's not like we can find anything in this damp swamp."

"But I can feel them around here." Flonne said as she looked around for a sign. "I know they're nearby. Something is giving off some energy, so I'm able to sense it."

"Hey, you're right, but what could it be?" Laharl and Flonne kept searching for its origin. Since the place was so dark, the only thing they could use was their ability to feel the follow of energy. Then…

"Laharl-san, I found them!" Flonne called out to him.

Laharl ran near her. Suddenly, he felt a much greater concentration of energy. It had to be Etna. He looked around for the possible source, and pinpointed to two lumps of mud on the ground. However, those lumps had a very familiar shape. "That's definitely Etna and Aramis, but what could be giving off the energy?"

"It's Aetna!"

"Aetna? As in Etna's spear?"

"Yeah, it's the only item that could radiate energy like this. However, we cannot pull them out. They have to get up on their own."

"Great…who knows how long that will take." Laharl groaned, being the impatient brat he was.

"We can help them though." Flonne explained "We can enter their dreams and talk to them somehow. I can't explain how."

"Well since you were able to enter my nightmare, I'm sure we can enter Etna's. Well, let's go!"

Before Laharl could go in, Flonne stopped him to ask him a question. "Can I ask you one thing? Was that really a nightmare? I thought it was so cute!"

"WELL I DIDN'T!" Laharl snapped back. "THAT PLACE WAS HORRIBLE AND YOU WERE…WERE…"

"Cute?"

"NOOOO! I TOLD YOU ALREADY, EVEN IF I'M MORE TOLERANT OF IT, I STILL HATE SEXY BODIES, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE IS TRYING TO SEDUCE ME!"

However, a small giggle escaped Flonne's lips. She knew that it wasn't the whole truth. "Teehee. Are you sure? I know you said you hated it when you told me about it before, but it seemed like you really wanted it."

"MORE LIKE YOUR SEXY SELF WANTED TO DO IT! LET'S JUST GET ETNA AND ARAMIS OUTTA HERE! I'M HAVING A BAD DAY TODAY!" Ain't that the truth.

"Teehee. You're right." After composing herself, Flonne then turned to Laharl to explain everything to him. "Alright, place your hand on the spear and try to focus yourself inside of Etna's mind. Try and make yourself light headed and feel for her mind and then you should be able to enter."

"That's easy for you to say. You're the light headed one…"

"LAHARL-SAN!"

"Hey, it was just a joke. Alright, let's go." Laharl did what he was instructed to do and placed his hand on Etna's spear. Flonne did the same. What they didn't know, however, was that Etna's nightmare was possibly the most dangerous one of all, for the person they were going to meet was someone too quick to be caught and too heartless to be tamed.

No…I can't let him catch me… Etna kept pumping her legs as hard as she could, hoping to outrun Kuroko. Just about an hour ago, he appeared before her and Aramis. Aramis tried to protect her, but it was a futile effort for Kuroko simply smacked him with his sheath. Now Etna was running full speed away from Kuroko. _'I'm gonna make you mine.' That's what he keeps saying…if he catches me he'll…no, I don't even wanna think about it!_

Etna kept pumping her legs as hard as she could, hoping to outrun Kuroko. Just about an hour ago, he appeared before her and Aramis. Aramis tried to protect her, but it was a futile effort for Kuroko simply smacked him with his sheath. Now Etna was running full speed away from Kuroko. 

However, no matter how fast Etna ran, Kuroko was always a few steps behind her, and he was in a simple jog, unlike Etna's panicky sprint. _Yes…keep running…it'll make it more enjoyable when I catch you. _And so, Kuroko continued his game of cat-and-mouse.

Suddenly, Etna started to remember something. It something that she had forgotten long ago, back when her father was still alive. It was something that she thought she would never say…

_"Father?"_

_"Yes Etna?"_

_"Why does everyone hate the legendary Kuroko so much? I mean, he was out to destroy the angels that look down on us."_

_"Not just angels. Us demons as well. You see, he was fighting to control everything. The Netherworld, Celestia, Earth…he fought so he could become the ruler of all by having the three worlds destroy each other. That is why he is looked down by the Overlord, the Seraph, and many others."_

_"But…it's because of him that there's no more fighting…shouldn't he be thanked for that?"_

_"You're so naïve, Etna-chan, but please don't let your grandfather hear of that. He'll have a fit once he finds out. After all, he is the…"_

Why did I say that about him? Why am I always thinking about him? Why… Suddenly, Etna began to stagger until she fell onto the cold ground of the Eternal Apocalypse. She tried to get up and run away, but there was already someone standing in front of her. The devilish demon with the glowing amber eyes.

"Do you give up now?" Kuroko devilishly grinned at his victim. Etna grabbed her spear, but Kuroko had his foot on it, preventing her from using it. "Would you like me to destroy it again?" After all the work they put into fixing it, she did not want to destroy her father's memento again. Instead, she tried to crawl away, but Kuroko stepped on her tail, making her wince in pain. "Sorry, but you won't be escaping this time." Then, with his sword, Kuroko sliced off Etna's ribbons, allowing her hair to flow freely once again. Kuroko now had Etna exactly where he wanted her. The normally arrogant and confident vassal had lost all confidence, her eyes showing nothing but fear. However, Kuroko's eyes were filled with devious intent. He was almost pleased to see her cowering like this. He bent over to Etna and used his thumb and his pointer finger to hold her chin, forcing her to look into his demonic amber eyes. "There is no escaping it, Etna. I want you, you want me. No matter how scared you are, I know that there is something you want from me. I can give it to you right now, just close your eyes and relax yourself."

Etna shyly looked turned her head away from him. "I-I can't…" Her voice sounded awkwardly timid, which was definitely a first for Etna.

However, Kuroko forced her to turn her head back to him so she could stare him in the eyes. "Don't deny it any longer. In just a few minutes, everything will be a dream, and your true desire will be revealed. Now…" Suddenly, Kuroko face started moving closer towards hers. Etna began shriek and resist, but she couldn't stop him. Everything was going to be taken by legend himself. She truly was going to be his. His face chased away the distance, and soon impact finally occurred. Etna tried to pull away from insecurity as part of her innocence began to leave her. However, he had a firm grip on her and couldn't leave. In addition, a new tingling sensation surged throughout her body. Before she knew it, she began returning the favor by letting her tongue tangle with his. The taste caused them to drive the kiss into a deeper and more passionate one. Soon, her reluctance waned, and soon, she became a slave to her own body. Finally, their lips parted. Kuroko's eyes haven't changed, but Etna's have, now that they were filled with nothing but passion and worst of all, lust. Kuroko's torture wasn't over yet. "Good, now relax, Etna-chan, you'll be feeling more later." Kuroko's hand began to message Etna's back, causing her to moan. He kept messaging her until she found he placed a hand on one of the straps of her bra. There was no escaping it. In a few seconds, she was going to belong to him. She awaited for her true defeat…but then…

"AWOOOOOOOOOOO!" Before Kuroko could do anything, all his movements had been restrained. Unlike before, Etna knew exactly what was holding him back, for there was only one type of demon that could make a low growling sound.

"Etna-san, are you alright?"

A smile graced Etna's lips, for she knew exactly who her savior was. "You get an F for efficiency, but I have to give you an A+ for perfect timing, Aramis!" Once again, Aramis had saved Etna, and in the nick of time as well.

However, the low chuckle coming from Kuroko meant that it wasn't even over yet. "Hehehe…you're not gonna defeat me this time. You only have one zombie on me. What can you do with one zombie?"

"This! Hidden Zombie technique: Poison Spike Trap!" At Aramis command, the zombies stomach all of a sudden began to sprout spikes, and since that zombie was clutching Kuroko, each and every one of those spikes stabbed him with a deadly force. Etna in awe watched as more spikes began to sprout and pierce Kuroko with every stab, for this is the first battle Aramis truly participated in. Aramis, confident that his zombie was locked onto Kuroko, felt that he could really defeat him.

However that confidence waned the minute Kuroko freed his hand and grabbed the hilt of his sword. In an instant, his blade reduced the zombie into pieces of meat on the ground. Since zombies usually come back to life when they are cut, Aramis didn't have to worry about his zombie. However, Kuroko was now free to dash anything into cold cuts. "You're making me mad, kid. I showed you mercy and now you come and attack me? You'll regret ever crossing me!" Now that Aramis had double crossed him, Kuroko was in full rage. He was now dashing towards Aramis, ready to end the child's life. "Once I'm through with you, I'll cut you up so much that no one will be able to recognize your carcass!"

However, Aramis tried to remain calm, despite his knowledge of Kuroko's legendary power. He knew he had to make a quick decision, and this was it. _Time to pull out my trump card. _Then, Aramis put his lips together and whistled into the air. By the command of the high pitched sound, two zombies appeared by his side, ready to obey his command. "Alright zombies, attack Kuroko and give him no chance to retaliate!" Then in that instant, the two zombies charged at Kuroko at full speed.

Kuroko, of course, did not think of his opponent summoning ability as a threat. "More zombies for me to kill! You're only delaying the inevitable, kid! Watch as I tear these two apart! Serpent Blade!" With his katana in his hand, Kuroko sliced at the air, sending energy in the form of a blade at one of the zombies. The attack connected and soon, that zombie was sliced in half. Despite that, Aramis' confidence didn't seem to falter. "No matter what zombie you put out, I'll continue to take them out one by one. Go ahead, send your next zombie so I can continue dicing them!" Etna, however, started to worry about Aramis, for she knew that if Kuroko got in too close, he would have absolutely no chance. _Aramis, stop it. You can't beat him alone, and my spear is too far from me. If you die…I'll…_ Suddenly, a flash of light began to shine in the sky. The light illuminated the murky skies of the Eternal Apocalypse and stopped Kuroko in his tracks. Before he could contemplate on what it was, a loud voice echoed throughout the skies.

"Holy Arrows!" At that moment, Kuroko a stinging pain surged throughout his body as arrows of light pierced him. He started clench his teeth, knowing that Aramis wasn't really alone. Etna, then, started realize who it was as a figure started to fall from the sky. She was angel yet a demon, but was also the one who came to aid her friend. "Etna-san, are you alright?"

"I already asked that, you blonde ditz…" Aramis dully said.

"Hey, I'm just as concerned as you are, Aramis." A sweet voice scolded the young demon boy.

A small giggle escaped Etna's lips, knowing that the Fallen Angel had aided her once again. "Don't worry, Flonne-chan. I'm alright! Are you?"

Flonne happily nodded towards Etna. "I'm fine, Etna-san!"

That's when Kuroko came to one realization as the second zombie grabbed him. "Wait…if that zombie was that damn Fallen Angel in disguise, then does that mean…?"

However, Kuroko was interrupted by a fiery glow coming from the zombie, which started chuckle. He was about to get his answer. "The kid is not alone, cuz now the Overlord has come to beat your ass down again! Blazing Knuckles!" In that instant, a wave of fire engulfed Kuroko as his body went flying through the air. The zombie that hit him, began to crumble, and standing in his place was none other than the Overlord of the Netherworld, Laharl. Kuroko landed on his feet, but had taken heavy damage from Laharl's attack. He narrowed his eyes at the Overlord, who only seemed to smirk at him. "You may have been a formidable opponent, but there is no way a fake can defeat me."

Those few words caught Etna's full attention. "Fake? This Kuroko is a fake?"

"Etna-san, we are not really in Eternal Apocalypse." Aramis explained to his superior. "When Kuroko hit me, I was knocked out for several minutes until Flonne came and healed me. Then, the Overlord told me what was really going on: what we are experiencing is our dreams and nothing more. Everything here was created from our deepest darkest nightmares and brought to life. In reality, we are still in the Marsh of Nightmares!" Etna's eyes flew wide open. All this time, the demon who kissed her was nothing but a fake. She almost wanted to scream, for she felt that her emotions had betrayed her into thinking the devious demon was attempting to please her. Her anger was rising…

Kuroko, however, did not notice it and continued to glare at Laharl. "Whether I am a fake or not is none of your concern!" At that moment, Kuroko accelerated towards Laharl at a vicious speed. Nothing could stop him from unleashing his terror upon the Overlord. "Once I'm through with you, it won't even matter!" Suddenly, just a few feet from Laharl, he felt a stinging pain in his stomach. He glanced downward. What he saw were numerous fiery energy arrows piercing his abdomen. He turned his body towards the one who would bring the end of the nightmare. "ETNA!"

Etna simply winked at her opponent. "Sorry, but like I have said a million times 'come at me with a better pick up line'! Chaos Impact!" Kuroko experienced déjà vu as Etna fiery orb of destruction slammed into Kuroko. The impact rocked the entire Eternal Apocalypse as the energy radiated outwards into the sky. Soon, the murky Eternal Apocalypse was no more. It was replaced with an infinite white background and soon…

"Looks like we're finally out of that nightmare…" Etna murmured as she surveyed her surroundings. They had once again returned to the swampy grounds of the Marsh of Nightmares.

"And it looks we're all back together again!" Flonne cheerfully exclaimed.

"And now we can finally beat those fools asses to the ground!" Laharl angrily shouted into the air, the fire replacing his eyes. With the nightmares finally over, it was time for him to do what he came here to do: get back his cape.

"You know, we have to find a way out of here first…" Aramis muttered. They all looked around, seeing nothing but swamp. Since continuing onward would be impossible without finding a way out, they all agreed to search for an exit.

As they searched, Flonne ran over to Aramis and asked, "How come your nightmare was the same as Etna-san's?"

Aramis hesitated for a moment. His face was a little red, but he decided to answer Flonne. "Well, when I thought about how Etna-san was originally fighting Kuroko, I was getting worried about her. Even though she is stronger than I am, I couldn't help but worry, and soon, those formed into nightmares…"

Unfortunately for Aramis, Laharl was able to pick on the conversation. The odd face he was making did not make Aramis feel any better. "That's disgusting…a kid like you falling for someone like Etna."

Aramis' blush only brightened. "S-stupid, why are you suggesting something like that?"

However, Aramis' comment only seemed to anger Laharl. "STUPID? HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

"Well, it's only right for him to say that to you." Etna slyly said, with that ol' twinkle in her eye. "You shouldn't be eavesdropping on other's conversations."

"THAT'S VERY FUNNY COMING FROM YOU, ETNA! YOU KEEP SUGGESTING THAT ME AND FLONNE ARE A COUPLE!"

"And I'm sure I'm right." Etna replied back, poking her head forward and grinning at Laharl. "After all, if the Marsh of Nightmares used your worst nightmare, then I'm sure you experienced those naughty thoughts again." Before Laharl could open his mouth, Flonne responded to Etna.

"It wasn't actually naughty. His nightmare actually had a cute flowery field with me in it…of course there was some alterations to me but yeah!" Both Etna and Aramis set their eyes on Laharl and Flonne with huge grins on their faces. Flonne had just blurted out the one thing Laharl would never ever let out.

"YOU LOVE FREAK! WHY THE HELL DID YOU TELL THEM?"

"But it's the truth!"

"So there was some alteration to Flonne-chan, eh? I can't wait to hear the rest of it." Etna's grin grew larger by the second. Now she had a lot more to tease Laharl about, and Flonne was going to tell her the rest.

However, Laharl had a comeback of his own. "Yeah, well I can't wait to tell everyone that you like that demon hitokiri!"

Suddenly, Etna's grin turned into a frown. Laharl had turned the tables and Etna was now on the receiving end. "You wouldn't dare…"

"Ha! You admitted, you fool!" Just as another big argument was about to erupt, Flonne called out to them.

"Everyone, I found the exit!" Everyone now placed their full attention on Flonne, only to find that she wasn't even there. She called out to them again. "I'm down here." They did as she instructed. What they found was Flonne standing in a hole, right next to a door. On top of that door was a sign that read in bold letters 'Exit'. The other three demons nearly fell over, wondering how they could've missed such a thing. Now that they have found the exit, it was finally over. All they needed to do was get the cape back and then go back home.

On their way to the door, Etna whispered to Laharl, "Hey Prince, let's make a deal. I don't tease you about your nightmare, and in return you can't tease me, deal?"

Laharl, however, let out a sigh. "Why am I afraid of making a deal with you…? Well, whatever, fine, but you'd better stop teasing me from now on, got it?"

"Yup."

Meanwhile…

"Sir, we have confronted the Overlord's vassals and have taken action!" A male hero reported to his superior as he entered the room. "We will make sure they don't enter the castle."

His superior smirked as he wiped off the wine on his lips. "Well done Youkai. Once again, you have served as well." The demon then tossed his violet hair over his shoulders. His superior was none other than Mid Boss, sitting at the dinner table with his lovely partner, Kirei. Mid Boss then snapped his fingers towards Youkai, motioning him to come over. "Now, please join us in our feast."

Youkai, however, got onto one of his knees and bowed to his superior. "I am sorry Adonis-sama, but my little brother's forces are much stronger than we thought. I must get back and aid my fellow comrades."

"You and your brother, Steilhang, are so modest." Kirei giggled, with a wine glass in her hand. "You are so loyal and are always helping us in our cause. However, you are our soldier, not a slave. It wouldn't be fair if you didn't get a reward. We have treated all your other friends, please partake in this feast."

The male hero, however, kindly refused. "I'm sorry, but I must help my friends out. I will take a drink from the refrigerator as my reward, if you don't mind that is."

"Of course we don't. Go ahead."

"Thank you, Adonis-sama and Aphrodite-sama." Youkai then hurried off towards the refrigerator to grab his drink. Then, as he opened the door, his eyes began to bulge. Apparently, he saw something in that refrigerator that didn't belong there. He then slowly closed the door and turned towards his superiors. "Um…Adonis-sama…?"

"Yes, Youkai?"

"…I think…someone wants to see you…"

"DAMN RIGHT HE DOES!" Suddenly, the refrigerator exploded, sending the hero flying across the room. Luckily, Mid Boss was there to catch him. However, Mid Boss and Kirei's fridge had exploded into millions of pieces, with the smoke taking its place. Soon, several silhouettes began to form within the smoke. "You're not getting away this time! No more of your lame excuses! So you think you can use my nightmares against me? Well, now you'll be facing the greatest nightmare you'll ever face, for am I Laharl, Overlord of the Netherworld! Hmhmhm…hmhmhmhm…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The silhouette disappeared and soon, Laharl stepped out of the rubble. The other silhouettes, could not handle the smoke as they tumbled out of the rubble and began to cough. Definitely not a good thing for Laharl. "YOU CALL THAT AN ENTRANCE?"

"I'm sorry, Laharl-san…" Flonne coughed. "There's just too much smoke…" Laharl could not argue with that. The smoke was a little too much for them to handle.

That's when Mid Boss began to laugh. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! You cannot threaten moi with a failed entrance and that costume!"

Being reminded of his current attire only pissed off Laharl even more. "THAT WAS YOUR FAULT! YOU STOLE ME CAPE!"

"Here we go again…" Etna dully said.

"Well if you wanted your cape, you didn't need to threaten us." Kirei told the young Overlord, hold the cape in her hands. She then tossed it to Laharl. "Here you go!"

Laharl caught the cape, but he still had a funny feeling about this. "Wait, we don't have to fight you for it?"

Mid Boss waved his hand in front of him, signaling a negative. "Nope. There's no need."

Any normal person would be overjoyed to get their prized possession back without any confrontation. However, Laharl was not a normal person, for this only pissed him off even more. "SO WE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT MESS WHEN YOU COULD'VE SIMPLY GIVEN IT BACK?"

"Yup."

Laharl's rage had finally erupted. The fire was blazing all over his body. "I WANT A BATTLE NOW! FACE ME, YOU FOOLS!"

"Normally I would." Mid Boss said with a smirk on his face. "However…let us all dine on this feast! It's been awhile since we've had company!" He extended his hands over the lavish dining table, filled to the brim with all kinds off food. The type of food not even the Overlord's Castle could contain.

Kirei was just as chipper as he was. "Yeah, I made all this food myself. I don't want it to go to waste."

Laharl, however, wasn't going to fall for it. "Nice try, but you're not tricking us this time, right guys?" Flonne, Etna, and Aramis, however, could not resist themselves. They all headed for the dinner table and began to eat. "WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS DOING? STOP EATING AND AID YOUR OVERLORD!" No matter how many time Laharl scolded them, they could not obey. The spread looked too delicious and the taste seemed to match.

"Come on, Prince!" Etna called out Laharl, happily munching on a rice ball. "It's just too good!"

"I'm gonna pass, thank you very much!" Laharl arrogantly replied. He pulled out his sword and brandished it viciously in front of Mid Boss. "I'm gonna destroy this fool and then take all the goods! We can bring the food back to the castle later if you love it so much!"

"But I need to know the recipe!" Flonne happily replied as she took a piece of cake. She then turned to Kirei with a favor in mind. "You must tell me how you did all this! It's so delicious!"

"Thank you, Flonne-chan." Kirei politely replied, letting out a small giggle. "I'll tell you everything."

"GRRRRRR…STOP EATING ALREADY AND HELP ME DESTROY THEM!"

However, when Flonne came up to Laharl, she was armed with only a sundae in her hands. "Please Laharl-san, you should try it!" Before Laharl could object, Flonne stuck a spoon full of ice cream into Laharl's mouth. Laharl was about to yell again, until he finally started to taste it. A satisfied 'mmmmm' escaped his mouth as he savored every last bit of it. When he finally swallowed the delicacy, Flonne asked the demon, "Well, what do you say?"

Defeated by the taste of Flonne's sundae, Laharl let out a long sigh. "I guess I can't win…fine…let's eat!"

After Laharl finally gave up his resistance, Mid Boss ordered Youkai to bring in all of Laharl's vassals so they could share the meal together. Soon, the dining room was filled with noise as all the demons ate their fill. Laharl remained wary, feeling that there was still one more trick Mid Boss and Kirei had planned, but nothing was happening. Also, the food made it harder for Laharl remain vigilant, and so he gave up and continued to eat with his fellow comrades. In addition, everyone was hungry since none of them had anything to eat the entire day. In the end, everyone was a winner, and filling their stomach was, in a way, their reward.

Soon night began to fall and everyone started to feel sleepy. It was expected, though, since Laharl and his vassals had been out all day without any rest or food. In addition, since the Julietta, Laharl's female cleric and dimensional gatekeeper, was already out of energy, she could not summon a dimensional portal back to the castle, and it was already too dark to travel back anyway.

Being the caring hostess she was, Kirei gave Laharl and his troop an offer they possibly couldn't refuse. "You all look so tired. Why not spend the night here? We got enough room."

However, Laharl continued to resist the duo's graces. "Alright, maybe you didn't set anything with the meal, but there's no way I'm sleeping here! You're properly buttering us up so we can let our guard down and then attack in our sleep!"

"Do you really thinking I'm so conniving? Moi?"

"YES!"

Before Laharl could say anything, a small hand touched his hand. It felt soft and warm. It gave off such a comforting feeling. He turned to side, seeing the young angel next to him. "Laharl-san, I know that you can't trust them, but everyone is so tired. Couldn't you just try to accept their grace?"

Laharl, however, smacked his forehead in disgust. "You know sometimes you are incredibly gullible, Love Freak…but I guess we have no choice. Everyone's too tired anyway, but everyone has to keep their guard up, alright?" Everyone nodded to Laharl as they all yawned, indicating their current insomnia.

Later, inside Laharl, Flonne, Etna, and Aramis' temporary room, Laharl took off the silk coat that had draped his shoulders since morning and handed it to it's true owner, Flonne. "Here, thanks for letting me borrow…I guess."

A smile graced her lips as Flonne let out a giggle. "Tee hee. I'm just glad I could help. I'm sorry if it caused any trouble."

"Heh…it wasn't your fault." Laharl casually replied.

"Trying to act cool again, Prince? You know, it would be a lot better if you told her about your feelings."

Normally, Laharl would've snapped back at Etna, but he was too tired to do anything. After all, he had a really bad day. "Geez…even if I know one of your secrets, you still continue to annoy me…" Etna chuckled to herself. Then, Laharl to fix his cape…only to end up tangled in it. "AARRRGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I CAN'T PUT IT BACK ON!"

"How the hell did you get it on in the first place…?" Aramis finally spoke out.

"Well it's been awhile since I took it off, and the last time I had to place it back on was when Mom was alive. And no…I'm not a momma's boy…it's just that…" Before Laharl could say anything else, he felt a warm cloth drape his shoulders, wrapping around his neck until it nearly reached his chin. He checked to see what was put on him, only to realize that his cape was around his neck once again. Though he felt joyful inside, Laharl simply let out a sigh. "Thanks Flonne, but I'm sure I could've figured it out myself."

"Eh? I didn't help you put on your cape."

"You didn't? Then who did?"

"Don't look at me, Prince."

As the three contemplated on the current situation, the Mysterious Aphrodite, Kirei, peered into the room, watching every moment of their time. In her mind, she was enjoying the scene in front of her. The three began to argue, but their bodies were tuckered out from everything that occurred today, so they decided to go to bed. Laharl tried to glance around the room to see if there was anything suspicious, only to find nothing. He, the last person awake in the room, got into bed and closed his eyes, drifting into slumber. Seeing the young Overlord sleep, brought a sudden nostalgia to Kirei, as her cunningly devious eyes suddenly became warm and comforting. Like those of a mother…

"Are they sleeping?"

"Yes, kioshii."

"They've had a rough day. They deserve the rest."

"Yeah…"

"Hm? Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's just that…it's been awhile since I've seen my son…sleep together with someone."

"Yeah, I know. Well, we must retire for tonight."

"Right. Good night, kioshii."

Later that night…

Laharl…

Eh? Who the hell is trying to wake me up at this hour?

Laharl…

Yeah, what do you want?

Meet outside…we have things to discuss…

After grabbing his sword, Laharl got out of bed and headed for the door. He hadn't had much sleep, so he was pissed to find someone waking him at this hour. _Yes…we do have things to discuss…like how to beat your ass for waking me up… _Before he left the room, he glanced over to Flonne, who was fast asleep. Her unbearably cute snore escaped her lips with every breath. Those very same lips were curved into a smile, indicating nothing but pleasant thoughts in her sleep. Laharl obviously did not want to know what those pleasant thoughts were, but he walked over to Flonne and softly whispered in her ear, "Sweet dreams, Flonne." Laharl began to smile as he watched Flonne's smile widen. Now that Flonne was fast asleep, Laharl headed out the door in order to meet his next broken alarm clock.

After going through a few doors, Laharl found himself within the castle walls. The gate leading to the outside had been closed off, possibly to block out any intruders, though Laharl kept thinking it was an attempt to keep him inside. His paranoia hasn't left yet. However, that wasn't on his mind. What he needed to know is who the hell was calling him. "Alright, whoever you are, get out here and say something?" And soon enough, he was about find out…

"So you're Overlord Laharl? You're a lot more childish than I thought."

A vein began to pop on Laharl's head, hearing himself being reduced to a small child. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT ME! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!" Almost instantly, a figure appeared before him. It appeared to be a young boy wearing a white vest and baggy pants. His shoulder length hair was like pure snow with his bangs plastered over his forehead, but it did not match his other features. His skin was tanned and those amber eyes his contained nothing but a malicious intent. While Laharl had no idea who this boy was, he could already tell what he was from the looks of his pure white wings. "A-an angel?"

"You act like you've never seen an angel before…" The angel mockingly replied, causing Laharl to explode.

"DO YOU DARE MOCK THE OVERLORD!"

"What Overlord? All I see is a bratty demon who can't keep his mouth shut." His comment nearly pushed Laharl off the deep end. The boy, luckily, kept him under control. "I'm sure you don't want to wake anyone, so I advise to keep quiet. This is between you and me."

Laharl gritted his teeth, but he knew the boy was right. Waking everyone else up would make the situation worse, and since he's already been through a lot, he decided to calm himself down. After finally composing himself, Laharl asked the boy, "Now what do you want? Make it good, cuz if this isn't important, then I'm gonna kick your ass all the way Celestia."

Then, the boy's amber eyes began to narrow with much seriousness in his tone. "Yes, it's very important. I demand that you stay away from Fallen Angel Flonne." Laharl's widened as the boy mentioned Flonne's name. He couldn't believe that the boy knew Flonne and was telling him to stay away from her. Laharl's eyes began to narrow, for he too had a serious expression on his face. "I know that you've known Flonne-chan for quite awhile, but I'm warning you right now, so do as I say."

However, his warning did nothing to Laharl but cause his anger to rise. His fist burned brightly as his crimson flames covered his fist.. "If you think I'm gonna simply stay away from her, then you have another thing coming. I've had quite a bad day today, so I don't mind kicking anyone's ass. Now leave my sight before I make you crawl on the floor!"

"I'd like to see you try…" The boy's taunt had pushed Laharl to his limit.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET EVER SAYING THAT TO ME! TAKE THIS! BLAZING KNUCKLES!" With his fist ablaze, Laharl darted towards the angel, ready to smash his face for being so rude to him. However…

"Holy Saber Blade…" Laharl's charge was disrupted by the angel's own attack: a flurry of energy blades slicing up Laharl's body. It had only been a few seconds, but the flying energy blades had caused much damage to Laharl, especially since he hasn't had any rest. Knowing that his opponent was going to be much harder to defeat, Laharl prepared himself for the worst. Then…

"Laharl-san!" That voice caused Laharl to move his attention toward the door, where Flonne had stepped out. As she ran towards Laharl, he saw a worried look on her face. "Laharl-san, why are you awake? What going o?" Before she could say anything else, her caught a glimpse of the angel. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she covered her mouth in surprise. After all this time, the one she had been waiting for had come. "Yuki-san…"

It was at that moment that Laharl started to become surprise as he heard Flonne utter that name. "Yuki…? You mean this is the friend you were talking about…?"

"A friend, huh…?" Though he was standing around for a few minutes, Yuki had already turned to leave the castle. Flonne tried to stop him, but Yuki simply turned his head and smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'll be coming back sooner than you think. Good bye, Flonne-chan…and you too, Overlord Laharl…" He gave Laharl an evil look and then disappeared.

Laharl stomped his feet in anger. He couldn't believe that Flonne's friend would actually try to kill him, not to mention force him away from Flonne. "Damn that stupid angel! When he comes back, I'll make sure and destroy him!" However, the next thing that Flonne uttered nearly caused Laharl's recently mended heart to shatter…

"Laharl-san…don't talk about him like that…don't be mean to him…"

Those words grabbed Laharl's heart and nearly tore it apart. Despite the trouble Yuki had caused for him, Flonne supported Yuki rather than him. With everything that happened today, Yuki's appearance and Flonne's betrayal drove him over his limit. Laharl felt like he had lost everything. An ominous aura surrounded his entire body. Then, with great ferocity in his voice, he roared:

"YOU FRIGGIN LOVE FREAK! DIDN'T YOU JUST SEE WHAT HE DID TO ME? HE WOKE ME UP AND SAID SOME NASTY SHIT ABOUT ME AND ALMOST KILLED ME! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ON HIS SIDE? FLONNE! FLONNE! ANSWER ME, FLONNE!"

To be continued…

**

* * *

Next episode (channel 13) **

Etna: Welcome to another installment of Etna…

Jennifer: …and Jennifer…

Aramis: …and Aramis'…

Etna, Jennifer, and Aramis: …NETHERWORLD TELEPHONE SHOPPING NETWORK!

Etna: Today's item is a once in a lifetime find: Seraph Lamington's Hummer!

Seraph: Hey!

Etna: The greatest of all vehicles! This baby will get you places if you're too weak to summon a dimensional portal!

Aramis: Yup, it's much better than letting those unruly beasts of burden slowly drag their feet! You won't go wrong with this vehicle!

Jennifer: In addition, there is no need for fossil fuel, since this was created by Celestian magic. You will need to occasionally ask a Celestian to fill it up though.

Etna: _Ssssh…don't tell them that. _So now you can get this nifty vehicle…

Jennifer: …this nifty Celestian…

Flonne: KYAAAAAAAH! ETNA-SAN, GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!

Aramis: And this cool looking blade!

Kuroko: THAT'S MY SWORD!

Etna, Jennifer, and Aramis: FOR ONLY FIVE BILLION HL! THAT'S RIGHT! ONLY FIVE BILLION HL!

Laharl: …always have to be a thief, Etna…

* * *

It's about time I finished this chapter. Now we can finally the whole story behind my most mysterious character, Yuki. Once again, I appreciate all the support I've been getting. So far, I've only gotten one person who would like to see a fic for the Great Betrayal, so I'm still waiting for more support for it. 

Originally, there was supposed to be a battle between Laharl and Mid Boss, but I decided to cut that out since the chapter was getting waaaaay too long. Also, I wanted to go back to humor to make it a bridge to the climax, so yeah, the calm before the storm (much better than my last calm before the storm ala episode 7). The whole thing with the wings was something I thought of after seeing a couple of pics (Including Takehito Harada's concept art for Laharl) where you got to see Laharl's wings, which were very dinky. I thought it'd be funny if Laharl were to wear Flonne's silk coat, plus it would give Laharl a reason to go see Mid Boss and Kirei. The whole nightmare thing was more or less an attempt at closure for Laharl's nightmare as well as to show more of Flonne's feeling toward Laharl and foreshadow an upcoming event and even show a possible love triangle between Etna, Kuroko, and Aramis. Originally the whole Etna/Kuroko thing was not going to happen, but that part where I had Kuroko caress Etna's cheek with his blade kept ringing in my head until I finally decided to make Etna develop some sort of crush on him. That part with Etna's father was random so please don't pay any mind to it (but you may wanna pay attention to that last part about her grandfather cuz it will tie into an upcoming fic). Of course, this chapter was another attempt at more Laharl/Flonne, with addition of when Flonne really started falling in love with Laharl, so I choose the part with the most tension between them: the reincarnation episode. I think it came out much better than I expected it to. Btw, I have already drawn a couple of Disgaea pics on fanart central so you might wanna check them out. One of them is a pic of Setsuna, Kuroko, and Chiriko, so you might wanna check that pic out if my description of the three wasn't good enough. It's under the artist name burnfist23 (JUST LIKE MY PENAME!)

Anyway, we have finally arrived at the climax. Yuki's sudden appearance has broken Laharl's heart and has forced him and Flonne apart from each other. Can this broken bond be repaired? CLIFFHANGER!


	12. Broken Wings and Mended Feathers

**Author's notes: **Thank you everyone, I'm so glad you loved that chapter. I know it took awhile for you to read, but please thank you. Also, I'm starting to draw more Disgaea pics. Coming soon will be the teen version of Laharl, the same model I'm using for Nostalgic Feelings, as well as better teen versions of Flonne and Etna, better pics of Setsuna, Kuroko, Chiriko, and even Yuki, and many other pics (you may even request me to draw certain things.) Just remember that my artist name is burnfist23 (just like my penname) Now I'd like to take some time to answer some questions:

First of all, I'm so glad you are back Bella. I'm glad you liked the pics as well as everyone else (Hopefully, I'll do a better Kuroko and Chiriko next time). The question about Kuroyami's name change to Kuroko was simply to make it sound better. If I kept it as Kuroyami, it would've translated to 'black black' or 'dark dark', plus it didn't sound too good now that I think about it so I changed it. I know 'Kuro' is a popular cat name and 'ko' is used in most female names, but I do know that 'ko' can be translated to 'child' so Kuroko would make it 'dark child'. Besides, if you noticed, Kuroko is a hitokiri (assassin) and if you watch Rurouni Kenshin, you'll notice that takes place in the Meiji era so yeah. Plus it sounds good together with Chiriko. As for pairing him with Etna, I was skeptical about it too. That wasn't supposed to happen, but when I had him use his blade to caress her in the last chapter, it just kept growing on me until I decided, hell with it, I'm making them a slight couple. Actually, it's more of a weird love triangle between him, Etna, and Aramis so don't worry, Aramis may get his chance (he pretty much did in that chapter). So yeah people, it's not a female cat that's chasing after Etna, it's Kuroyami with a new name. Like I said at the end, that whole purpose was to go back to humor since everything before that was nothing but action and drama.

Btw, I have all 5 Disgaea novels already so yeah. A little surprised how On Love 2 is presented, but it's cool. Too bad it's so far, the last Disgaea novel. We need more! I'm sorry for errors, but once again blame that on quick edit! And finally, my latest reviewer told me that I'm one of the two giving Disgaea fics it's respect. I personally don't think of myself that high though, cuz I was not one of the original authors in the section. I was originally a Hamtaro author who liked Disgaea (heck, my name isn't even in the Disgaea author directory), and was drawn in by the works of Illuminet, Angel Trainee Flonne, lil azn mistkal girl, and Kizzi-chan. I'm guessing that the other author you are talking about is probably Illuminet since 'The White Flower' got a lot of reviews, but I don't deserve as much credit as these four. However, I'm happy that you all love my fic that much. Thank you.

Now that I got that out of the way, it's time to continue with the fic. In the last chapter, the big climax has arrived in the form of an angel: Yuki. His appearance has ignited Laharl's rage and caused Flonne to dive into a deep depression. The bond has been broken, but can it be repaired? Read on to find out!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Disgaea. That belongs to the geniuses at Nippon Ichi. However, I do own Yuki, Setsuna, Chiriko, Kuroko, Katy, and all the other vassals (at least their names)

**Warning: **Heavy language and cussing in this episode

**

* * *

****Episode 12: Broken Wings and Mended Feathers**

Morning had arrived in the Netherworld. Normally, there would be such a clamor throughout the Netherworld. After all, demons were known for having fun through chaos and whatnot. That was not the case in the Castle of Magnificence.

"Hey, why have you become so silent?" Mid Boss, Kirei, Etna, and everyone had noticed something abnormal in the air: the normally loud Overlord Laharl and the love preaching Flonne were completely silent, with their backs to each other. Laharl, on one hand, had a anger expression on his face. It wasn't even his usual fiery anger where he would shout out at anyone. He had more of a cold expression that indicated nothing but a deep hatred, remaining completely silent. On the other hand, Flonne looked distressed, with no desire to speak. Of course, everyone was worried about these two. As the first one who tried to get a word out of them, Mid Boss went over to Laharl and whispered something into his ear:

"_You know, if you made the mademoiselle upset, then maybe you should apologize or do something for her._"

However, rather than bursting out at him, Laharl closed his eyes tightly and murmured, "…fool…it's nothing like that…" Something obviously wrong if Laharl wasn't shouting at him, considering that this Mid Boss who said it.

Seeing that Mid Boss couldn't get through, Kirei went over to Flonne and tried see if she could get anything from her. "Excuse me, Flonne-chan. If something happened between you two, you can tell me. We can go into a private room if you want and—"

"No, that's alright…" Flonne's response made Kirei just as silent as herself. Flonne had made no attempt to smile, not even an attempt to express her feelings. It made everyone worry…especially Etna.

Seeing that there was no point in standing around, Laharl turned to Mid Boss and finally said, "Look, we're gonna be leaving now. I'll beat the shit outta you later…" Everyone nearly gasped, hearing that last part. Though Laharl did have a foul mouth, he only cussed occassionally. Laharl then turned away from Mid Boss and coldly left the room, passing by Flonne without even glancing at her. That didn't matter to Flonne for she didn't pay any attention to Laharl either. Etna and Aramis could not figure out was going on, but with Laharl already heading out the door, they and the rest of the vassals followed after him. Their concern for the couple, however, did not wane.

Mid Boss and Kirei watched them leave the castle through an open dimensional portal. As they walked away from the portal, the duo could think about only one thing: _What could've happened? Their bond had grown over a month…what caused their bond to shatter in one night…?_

The rest of that day matched Laharl and Flonne's mood, for it was raining all day. Dark clouds spread over the Netherworld sky as the rain drenched every sector. The ceilings of the Overlord's Castle were leaking with droplets of water, but Laharl did not mind. In fact, he gave absolutely no orders or missions. Since there were no missions present, Laharl just decided to train in Item World and pass some bills in the Dark Assembly. His presence sent chills up anyone's spine, even the normally fearless senators.

Flonne, on the other hand, spent the entire day on the balcony of Laharl's room gazing into the darkened sky. There was not even a hint of happiness in her, just depression. Not even the rain that dampened her hair, clothes, and skin troubled her. Etna had to pull her away just to dry her off. The depressing silence continued throughout the rest of the day.

When night fell, Flonne found herself back at the balcony. There was no moon out tonight due the cloud cover, but she did not say anything. She too was covered by shadows of the night. Nothing could be seen in the darkness that was cast over the Netherworld. Then…

"Get the fuck out of my room now…" Flonne didn't need to turn around. She already knew who it was, but she did not want to face him. "Gordon finally fixed your room so leave…"

"As you wish…" Without even facing him, Flonne left his room, her face covered in her bangs.

"Good riddance…"

Meanwhile, Etna, Aramis, and the defenders, who were absent during the attack on the Castle of Magnificence, were discussing the current problem with Overlord and Fallen Angel. They have noticed the great change in their behavior, and it worried everyone.

"So you don't know what happened to them…?" Jennifer murmured, feeling guilty for not going on the mission with them. She seemed to fine now though, health-wise that is.

Etna, however, shook her head. "I wish I did though. This isn't like them…"

"Could it have something to do with the mission?" Gordon asked them.

Aramis, following Etna, shook his head too. "They only started acting like this early this morning. They were fine before then."

"It could be the bad day he had yesterday." Kurtis said.

Once again, Etna disagreed as shook her head. "No. If that were true, then why would Flonne-chan be so upset?" All of them heaved as sigh, seeing that could not even get a clue about what happened. Something happened last night that they have not witnessed. It was something between Laharl and Flonne, but they couldn't figure it out. Suddenly, Etna began to clench her fist as she began to narrow her eyes, scaring the people around her. Etna grabbed her spear and marched down the hall. "I'm gonna find out, no matter what I have to do…"

Later that night, Laharl, after a long day of fighting in Item World and passing bills in the Dark Assembly, was ready to go to bed. However, he felt someone's presence nearby, hidden in the shadows. This did not affect Laharl's judgment, for he knew already who it was.

"What the fuck do you want, Etna…"

Slowly revealing herself, Etna stepped out of the shadows. Her normally bright pink eyes were now a fiery red color, burning with resolve. "We need to talk…"

However, Laharl ignored her as he headed towards his coffin. "Can this wait till morning…?" Before he could open it, Etna's hand slammed onto the lid, preventing Laharl from opening it.

"No it can't! You're gonna answer me now!"

Rather than trying to discuss anything with Etna, Laharl pulled out his sword, signaling his resistance as he narrowed his eyes at her. "I will give you five seconds. If you're not out of here, I WILL rip your fucking head off."

"Go ahead and try it. With the way you've been acting, I have no choice but to teach a lesson with my own hands."

"Oh just shut the fuck up..." Laharl, already losing his patience, charged at Etna with his sword. "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU OR ANYONE, ESPECIALLY THAT LOVE BITCH!" Before he could reach her, Laharl felt a sharp blow on his cheek. It was a blow so powerful that it propelled him into a wall. Laharl placed his cheek. It was now swollen, branded with a red hand mark. Despite that, Laharl was reluctant to listen. "Heh…a slap, huh? I should've put my guard up, but now I'm fucking mad!" Laharl kept on trying to force Etna out of his room, but no matter what he did, he'd always get smacked back into a wall. What made this really humiliating was that Etna was doing this with only her hand; she wasn't wielding any weapons or using her attacks, only slaps.

"Sheesh, you were able to beat Setsuna, Kuroko, Chiriko, Priere, and the Seraph, yet you can hardly defeat me, and I'm only using slaps."

"GET THE FUCK OUT NOW!"

Etna refused to budge and continued to smack Laharl. "Not until you tell me what's going on! What's gotten into you and Flonne-chan? How come you two hate each other all of a sudden?"

"SINCE WHEN DID I EVEN LIKE THAT FUCKING LOVE BITCH?" His remark, however, only strengthened Etna's blows, causing blood to drip down his face.

"And don't you dare call her that!" Etna continued to smack harder and harder, causing his face to redden and sting. While it caused Laharl's ferocity to dramatically increase, he could not even land one hit on her. "What happened to you two?"

"WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU WANNA KNOW?" Instead of smacking Laharl this time, Etna grabbed him by the neck and lifted him into the air. She forced him to look her in the eyes, but he kept turning away his head away.

"Because you told me over in the Eternal Apocalypse about what you felt about Flonne-chan! You told me you cared about her so much that you would sacrifice yourself to bring her back! I talked to Flonne-chan the other night, and she said the same thing!" Suddenly, Etna pulled Laharl towards her and forcefully kept him from turning his head away, continuing to wake his mind up. "If you two care about each other so much, why do you two despise each other? Don't you remember what Mid Boss said about the bond?"

Instead of screaming back at Etna, Laharl closed his eyes, letting his bangs cover his face. Then, in a low serious tone, he solemnly replied, "What bond? Is there even a bond…now that the Love Freak…cares about someone else…?" At that moment, Etna eyes were filled with shock. She had stumbled onto what probably broke them up last night: Flonne's heart now belonged to someone else and not Laharl. Seeing that she had no other reason to keep Laharl in the air, Etna slowly lowered Laharl onto ground, but Laharl didn't look up. His bangs were still plastered against his forehead. "I told you what you needed to hear…now leave…" Etna couldn't object to his order after hearing those words. Even if it had affected only Laharl and Flonne, those words had pierced her heart. Not wanting to make her master feel even worse, Etna quietly left the room. As the door slowly closed, Laharl pulled opened the lid of his coffin and tumbled into bed. _Leave me alone…all of you…_

As Etna headed to her room, she kept thinking about Laharl's words. The true reason why Laharl and Flonne began to hate each other so much…

_"Is there even a bond…now that the Love Freak…cares about someone else…?"_

_That can't be true. I know Flonne-chan. She told me everything. She loves you and only you. There's no way she would…_

"Etna-san, is there something wrong?" Etna, her thoughts disrupted, looked to her side. Her humble apprentice, Aramis, was concerned about her, seeing the worried look on her face.

Etna, however, shook her head, trying to reassure her right hand demon. "No, it's nothing. I'm just tired…I'd better get to bed. 'night, Aramis." Aramis wanted to ask her what happened, but he knew it wasn't right for him to talk about the issue if Etna felt that it wasn't. He said no more as he watched Etna head to her room.

Over in the Heart of Evil, the lone man in the dark cloak rested his head against the tree. Since there was absolutely no glimmer of light and he felt sleepy, he decided to lie against a tree and get some rest. However, the spirits in his cross kept him awake.

"_I can't believe you let him get away again! If you feel that he's going to cause so much damage, why didn't you destroy him right there? You know very well your power surpasses his!" _(Kuroko).

'_But Yuki isn't really bad! I know he isn't! He's—' _(Chiriko)

_"I know what you're trying to say, kid, but we have no chance in getting him back, no matter what we do! Setsuna, you can't keep letting him go like this!"_

_You may be right, Kuroko. He has lost himself, but that's why I cannot kill him..._

"_Setsuna, if you continue to give him mercy, he will always continue his devious deeds. I know this very well. After all, I did nearly the same thing. Eventually, he'll gain enough power to begin his reign of terror and …"_

_And if I kill him, that darkness will never leave, even if he is reincarnated! All of his actions are not his own, they are the work of someone else…if I kill him, he will never stop…_

**Flashback**

"What you are doing is wrong, Yuki!" Setsuna told the angel in front of him. It was noon in Venomous Peak. After leaving Mid Boss and Kirei, Setsuna set out to search for someone he really needed to find. Rather than finding him, he ended up losing himself in the mountains, which caused some bickering between him and Kuroko…until he one he had been looking had found him.

"You're wasting your breath, shishou!" Yuki resisted, refusing to listen to Setsuna. "You try your best to bring unity to all the races, but I haven't seen any progress! I have seen nothing but even more discrimination than there should be. I told you before I left, I will find a way to end this separation on my own!"

Yuki turned to leave, but Setsuna appeared in front of him. Setsuna, using his staff, blockaded Yuki from going any further. "I can see already that you will cause even more pain and suffering than what the current population is going through now! I won't allow you to hurt those people!"

However, Setsuna's threat didn't affect Yuki one bit. Reluctant to listen to Setsuna, Yuki pulled out his saber, ready to force him out of his way. "Looks like I'll have to move you then! Take this! Holy Scatter Blade!" Yuki sliced at the air, causing numerous energy blades to fly at Setsuna…only to be deflected by him and sent back at Yuki. Yuki was able to dodge it, but barely. However, this meant that he was no match for Setsuna.

"Even now you can't possibly defeat me, Yuki. Stop this foolishness this instant!"

However, Yuki continued to grin deviously. He still had something up his sleeve. "Maybe I can't defeat you now, but soon you'll be begging for my mercy. Do you know that archaeological site from about a month ago? It's already been uncovered."

"But what does this have to do with—?" Suddenly, Setsuna froze in his tracks. He realized exactly what Yuki was going to do. Yuki's true plan to gain power and unify the worlds. "You mean—"

"Once I open the seal, then I don't have to worry about you anymore. There will be no one who can stand up to me."

"I'm not letting you do that!" Setsuna swung his staff at Yuki. Yuki, once again, barely dodged the attack. "I will make sure to prevent you from even reaching that site!"

"Not with these guys around!" Suddenly, something sprung out of the ground, causing debris to shoot out everywhere. Setsuna used his cape to protect him from the wave of dust and rocks coming at him. When it was over, Setsuna faced Yuki again, but soon realized what came out of the ground: eight serpents summoned by Yuki. Each of them had that 'I'm hungry. I will eat anything' look in their eyes. "These guys are pretty hungry right now. I promised them their next meal would be a meal to die for. The next time we meet, you will only be a speck of dust compared to me. Farewell, shishou…" After that, Yuki disappeared into the mountains, escaping Setsuna's sight.

Of course, he had to focus more on his current situation: getting rid of the serpents. Setsuna pulled out a talisman, knowing that it would be enough to finish all ten serpents. "I know that you guys are hungry, but unfortunately, I'm too hard to chew. I hope you like your food spicy though. _Oh, great power of earth and fire, release your power to destroy the foe in front of me. Eruption Seal!_" A few minutes later, Setsuna sighed as he stood on the charred ground of the Venomous Peak. _You have no idea what you're doing, Yuki…_

**Flashback end**

_If I destroy him, I'll only destroy the boy and not the evil within him. It will continue to spread and consume others into following his path. That is why I cannot kill him as he is now._

However, Kuroko had something to counter that. _"But if this goes on, he will destroy everything. Then what's going to be left for you to protect? If you want to fulfill Miyuki's promise then you'll have to destroy him."_

'_But there is a way to defeat the darkness without destroying him…' _Suddenly, Setsuna turned his attention to Chiriko. _'It's going to be risky, and you yourself cannot do this. There is only one way to defeat it. Something you have seemed to overlook.'_

_And what is that way?_

'_You must…'_

_Brrrr…why does it feel so cold all of a sudden? _Laharl slowly opened his eyes. He opened and closed them, trying to cast away the blurriness. When he was finally able to see clearly, he noticed that he was no longer in his coffin again. He was about to think that Etna was planning something again until he noticed the all too familiar surroundings. _It looks like Eternal Apocalypse…and yet it feels like Sacred Altar. Don't tell me Etna dragged me into the Marsh of Nightmares…I'm gonna kill her for this if it's the last thing I—_Suddenly, something caught his attention. There were three figures. Two of them were standing while the third seemed to be in shackles. He tried to make out the three figures, but then he soon realized whom they were. The two figures were wearing baggy clothes, one in black and one in white. _It's the Seraph and Setsuna. What the hell are they doing there? And who the hell is that next to--? _Laharl was shocked to see who the third figure was… _Flonne…? What she's doing here? And why do they have them chained? _

He was about to go down and help her out of her predicament, but soon those thoughts from before flooded his mind again. He turned his back on her and tried to leave. _Why should I help her? She's the one who fucking betrayed me! Those guys can go ahead and kill that Love Bitch for all I care! Maybe she'll be outta my hair once and for all! _Then, before he could take even a step, Laharl began to feel an ominous presence nearby, and it was coming closer. It was deep dark feeling of hatred and chaos.

Feeling that same presence, Setsuna and the Seraph turned to meet their intruder. "He's here…" They readied themselves for to take on the trespasser, but they couldn't take out their opponent, for it only took a few seconds before they collapsed onto the cold ground. It was inconceivable to Laharl. There was someone who just destroyed Setsuna and the Seraph within seconds.

_That's impossible…this guy must be a real monster if he could—_Suddenly, a loud alarming shriek echoed through the air. It was the sound of Flonne's voice, causing Laharl to turn to see what was going on. The demon was already closing in on her.

"Please stop! Don't come any closer! You killed them already, haven't you had enough?"

"…no…after everything I have done…you have decided to throw me away…once I'm through with you I'll destroy that f#cking Yuki and everyone else so I won't have to hear you again…Love B!tch!" Laharl's eyes widened. That voice, though it sounded deeper and creepier, was decipherable. Laharltook one good look at the 'monster' and nearly fainted from the shock of it. His eyes widened even more as cold chill surged down his spine. The 'monster' he had witnessed had a glowing dark energy swirling around him and his eyes cold amber eyes narrowed down upon the angel in front of him. A blood red cape, however, covered much of his face, but his icy blue hair was still visible as well as his antennas. There wasonly one person that matches that type of description. _It's…me…but how…why am I…? _Suddenly, the demonic Laharl had raised his sword overhead, ready to behead the young girl in front of her.

"Laharl-san…please…"

"Shinei…"

_FLOOOOOOOONNE!_

"STOP DON'T KILL HE—wait, I'm…back." Indeed, he was. He blinked a couple of times to make sure, and he was right, he was back in his room. Laharl placed his hand on his forehead, trying to think of what was going on. _So that really was a nightmare…but why…why did I dream of that? _That's when Laharl felt something touch his cheek. It was soft yet warm and comforting, but at the same time, familiar. _It couldn't be… _Laharl turned to his side and there she was. Lying besides him was the same blonde Fallen Angel that he had thrown out. _Flonne…but I threw you out! What are you doing back here? It can't be the sleepwalking problem cuz her room is with everyone else's rooms, which is pretty far from here. Why is she here? _Then, something caught his ear. It sounded like sniffling, and it was coming from Flonne. He turned to see her face, and noticed something falling from her eyes.

"Laharl-san…I'm…so…sorry…please…forgive me…" It fell onto Laharl's hand, moistening it with sadness. It was a tear. Laharl didn't know what to say anymore. He had been threatening her, trying to get her off his back for her betrayal, yet even now, she seemed to care for him, trying to stay by his side. _She was worried that I would never forgive her…and it caused her to have a nightmare…probably similar to mine…maybe…that's what's tying her to me…_Laharl hanged his head low, knowing that he had gone too harsh on Flonne yesterday. Even though she broke his heart that night, he knew very well that after all the things they have been through, Flonne would never turn her back on him for a second. However, Laharl kept pushing her away, causing him to turn into a monster in her eyes. _It's because I've been keeping her away that I ended up turning into that… _Laharl knew what he must do. However, before leaving his coffin, he turned to Flonne and wiped off one of her tears. Then, gathering up most of his courage, he pressed his lips onto hers, giving them a soft kiss. He tried his best to make it brief, so Flonne wouldn't wake up and see him like this. He then pulled away, and watched Flonne begin to calm down a bit as a deep blush covered her face. Laharl smiled softly at the young angel. His crimson red eyes were shinning like the forgiving red moon. With that, he closed the lid and headed off into the night. _Sleep tight…Flonne. _

Early that morning, Etna made her way toward Laharl's room, her fiery red eyes burning with determination. This time, she was going to make sure to repair the broken bond. _I don't know what's going on between those two, but I'm going to make sure I get those two back together, no matter what. There's no way Flonne-chan loves someone else…well she loves everyone…but I'm sure she still loves the Prince, and I'm gonna prove it to him right now! _The minute she reached the room, she kicked the door open and, without a second thought, pulled open the coffin and heaved his body into the air. "Come with me, Prince! I'll show you once and for that…Flonne…chan…?" However, the person she was holding wasn't the Overlord. It was actually the Fallen Angel she just mentioned, who was quite surprised to see the red headed demon lift her up in the air by the neck.

"Etna-san, what are you doing? I…can't…breathe!" Of course, Flonne was just as confused as Etna in her current situation, especially since she was the one hovering in the air as well as losing that air. Etna, after thinking it over, placed Flonne back on her feet. However, find Flonne in Laharl's coffin bothered her, so she needed to know what the hell was going on.

"Flonne-chan, I thought you were back in your room? How did you all of a sudden make it to the Prince's room?"

Flonne herself didn't even know the answer to that. Since her room was far away, she would've at least crashed into something to wake her up. Knowing that there was no answer at the moment, Flonne shrugged. "Maybe I was sleepwalking."

"But your room is on the other side of the throne room. There's no way you could end up making it all the way to Prince's room!"

Once again, Flonne didn't have much of an answer, for she had no idea why she was in the room in the first place or why she was even in the coffin. Then, she felt something on her lips as a small breeze blew into the room. "My lips…they feel…a bit moist…"

"Must've been the rain."

"But it can't be the rain." Flonne told Etna, slowly shaking her head. "Otherwise, the rest of my face would've been wet…but why…" Then, she let out a gasp, realizing what happened that night. Her sleepwalking habit landed her in Laharl's room, so she was sleeping right next to Laharl. If that was true then, in her sleep, she must've kissed Laharl by mistake…or maybe it was actually… "Laharl-san…" As the name escaped her lips, a bright pink blush covered Flonne's entire face. _But why…? After what I said to him…_

That's when Etna noticed something a little different about Flonne. "Hey, you're not all depressed anymore! Did you two make up or something?"

"N-no, I don't even know where Laharl-san is anymore."

Etna placed her hand on her chin, trying to think of where Laharl could've gone. Then, some of the other vassals came by. Etna spotted Julietta, the cleric and gatekeeper, and inquired her about the Prince. "Hey, Julietta, did the Prince leave early?"

Julietta, however, shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I didn't see him pass by."

That's when Steilhang noticed the Overlord's absence. "Wait, so Laharl-sama is missing?"

"Yeah, the Prince is not in the castle."

"But if Laharl-san is not here, then how could he possibly—?" That's when another gust of wind blew into the room from the balcony. The slight breeze flowed through the young demons, their hair ruffling in the air as it passed them by. Suddenly, Flonne and Etna came to a startling realization. There was only one other way out of the castle…

"Don't tell me he…"

"LAHARL-SAN!" Flonne and Etna hurried towards the balcony and looked down the many levels of the Overlord's Castle. Laharl's room was near the top, so jumping off the balcony could mean certain death once they make impact with the ground. Furthermore, there was lava moat surrounding the castle, which also meant certain death if fallen into. That's when Flonne came to one conclusion. That small kiss that Flonne felt on her lips, the kiss that Laharl gave her, could've been… _A goodbye kiss…could it mean that…he…no…Laharl-san… _Soon, her rose red eyes began to fill with tears as she wept. Guilt filled her heart, the guilt of pushing Laharl to suicide. She couldn't bear to stay anymore. Her heart heavy from the guilt, Flonne fled from the demons around her, her eyes blurry from her tears.

"Flonne-chan!" However, Etna couldn't confine her. Flonne was already out the door. Etna knew exactly what Flonne was thinking. She too felt that Laharl had pushed himself to suicide. However, her mind kept denying it as she clenched her fist hard, almost letting making her palms bleed. She then faced all of Laharl's vassals with a fierce look in her fiery red eyes. "He's not dead! I know he isn't! Since I'm second in command, I want you all to search everywhere for Maoh Laharl-sama (Overlord Laharl)! Search every region of t he Netherworld until you find him! Aramis, the defenders, and I will try searching the castle again, understood?" His vassals, just as determined as she was, nodded their heads. They would not lose their Overlord that easily. Then…

"Did someone mention us?" They all turned to the door and standing in the doorway was none other than Gordon, Jennifer, Thursday, and Kurtis, the defenders. "You don't need to explain, we know of the situation."

"But can you handle a search?" Etna asked them, knowing what happened to Jennifer last time. "Jennifer was sick last time so—"

"Don't worry about it." Jennifer reassured her. Unlike before, she seemed to be okay. In fact, it looked like she was better than ever. "I'm better now. Besides, it's important that we find Laharl-chan."

"Yeah, I can't find anyone else I could work with but the Overlord." Kurtis added.

"Blip beep, Thursday is ready to find Overlord Laharl."

"Alright, so it's settled!" With a burning determination in her eyes, Etna raised her fist into the air. "Now let's go find him!"

"Yeah!"

Unlike Etna inside the castle, Flonne had already lost hope. No matter what she thought, there was only one thing in her mind: Laharl's suicide. _It's…all my fault…I know he was mean to say that to Yuki…but I shouldn't have said that…even though he kept saying that he hated me…Laharl-san felt broken hearted inside…and I was the one who caused it break…and because of me he's…_

"He's not dead yet…" Flonne quickly spun around in surprise. It turned out to be a familiar amber-eyed angel. "But I need you to come with me. I've been looking for someone to help me reunite the two worlds, and I think it'd be best if you came with me."

This time, however, Flonne wasn't all too thrilled to see Yuki. While she did like him, her current situation made it the wrong time for him to come. "I'm so sorry, Yuki-san…you're so nice and friendly to me…but I can't leave Laharl-san. He's more than just an Overlord to me. We've become such a strong bond…I can't possibly—"

"But don't you think that's the problem?" This time, Flonne was stunned to hear Yuki asking that question. She did not have an answer."Your bond, while strong, puts too much of a burden on the Overlord. Even if he is an Overlord, his position cannot save him from inevitable doom. Like you said, your bond with him is strong, but because of that, he will always be willing to protect you. Overtime, while they may heal, his wounds grow on him and eventually…"

An alarmed look replaced Flonne's depressing face. What Yuki said was mostly true. Laharl would try his best to protect her, but he would get severely injured in the process. If this continued… "No…that can't be…he wouldn't…"

"Was there any time where he fought so hard for you where death almost embraced him?" There was no need for Yuki to elaborate. Flonne already knew what he meant. She had seen Laharl's body after some of those battles that Yuki mentioned. Whether it was against the Seraph, Priere, or Setsuna, Laharl put everything into his battle to protect her, but because of that, he had been inflicted with heavy damage. That damage may eventually grow and soon… "If you care about him so much, then you must leave his sight. That way, he'll forget about you and he won't encounter certain death. If you stay, you'll only be a burden at his side, slowly whittling him away with each battle. If you want to save his life, then follow me. Otherwise, you can just watch him die." With all that said, Yuki turned away and started to walk away from the castle, hoping for Flonne to follow his lead.

Flonne didn't know what to do anymore. She was torn between the decision of leaving or staying with the one she loved. She loved Laharl so much, she couldn't possibly leave his side, but if he were to die, that would be even worse. Flonne then made her final decision. _Laharl-san's life is more important than our bond…even though I will be saddened, I will happy as long as Laharl-san lives the rest of his life happily…so…sayonara…Laharl-san…_

Meanwhile, inside Laharl's room…

"Damn, where is he?" Etna was still awaiting a response from the others. She had ordered Laharl's vassals to search the Netherworld for the Overlord, and had the defenders, Aramis, and everyone that was left in the castle check to see if he was still inside. However, their search turned up empty and there was no response from the other vassals yet, which made Etna begin to doubt that they'll ever find him as she paced back and forth within the room. "I refuse to believe he's dead! I have to prove it to Flonne-chan! Besides, I promised Krichevskoy-sama to keep him safe. I can't just—"

"What are you doing and why the hell are talking to yourself in my room? Can't you find somewhere else to do that?" Etna's eyes widened for she recognized that voice coming from behind, near the balcony. Anyone would be able to recognize that annoyed childish voice.

"Prince, you're alive!"

Laharl eyed Etna suspiciously and sighed, shaking his head slowly. "Why am I not happy to hear you say that…?"

"But Flonne-chan and I were worried! We thought you jumped off the balcony and died!"

A bit irritated by that statement, Laharl began to feel a little irritated. "What gave you that idea?"

"Well you all of a sudden disappeared!"

"Hey, I needed a walk alright!" Laharl snapped back, trying to reassure his concerned vassal.

"But you jumped out the window!"

"And you think I can't make that jump? I bet you can jump from here as well!" True enough. Some of Etna's most powerful attacks, as well as Laharl and Flonne's, often had herself propel through the air at an unimaginable height. It would make sense that he, the Overlord, could make such a jump.

Still, Etna wasn't really sure if Laharl could do it at this height, especially since the castle is so tall. "But Prince, there's no way you can jump all the way to ground if you're jumping from here!"

"Who says I jumped all the way to the ground? I just jumped from ledge to ledge." Of course, Etna never thought of that either, but Laharl was right. There were many towers Laharl could land on to break his fall. Laharl pitifully shook his head as he started to walk past her. Then, the defenders arrived…

"I'm sorry, Etna. We couldn't find him, he must be—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! IT'S THE GHOST OF THE OVERLORD!"

A sweat drop appeared on Laharl's head as his eyes narrowed at his vassal. "You told them too…?"

"Hey, we were all worried, especially Flonne-chan! She's been crying her heart out for you."

"Speaking of which, where is she?" Everyone else in the room looked to each other, hoping that they had the answer. Unfortunately, none of them had one.

Being the last one to see Flonne, Etna told the young Overlord, "She ran out crying! She thought you killed yourself!"

For a split second, Laharl began to hesitate, indicated by the widened eyes. After all, he didn't think his absence would cause such a clamor within his army. Then, he clenched his fist tightly as he yelled loudly into the air, "THAT DITZY LOVE FREAK! YOU MUST BE SO STUPID TO THINK I WOULD JUST KILL MYSELF LIKE THAT! WE'D BETTER GO FIND HER NOW BEFORE SHE DOES SOMETHING STUPID!" However, before they could do anything, Steilhang and Ravens walked into the room, dragging a familiar person.

"Etna-san, this dem—Laharl-sama, you're alive!" Laharl bit his lip and tried his best not to say anything. He glared at Etna for a few seconds, who simply shrugged at him. Afterwards, Steilhang started again. "Laharl-sama, this demon would like to see you."

However, our busy Overlord did not have the time for idle chitchat. "Can it wait, Steilhang? We're kinda busy."

"But this demon says it's important!" Ravens told her master. "Are you sure you don't want to listen to what he says?"

Laharl let out a deep sigh, and figured that arguing with them would waste more time. He decided to stay. "Alright, but it better be important…" Then, as he moved toward the demon, he noticed something familiar about him. "Hey, you're Maro, the guy who asked us to protect the archeological site."

"Yes…" The demon weakly replied. There were severe wounds and inflictions all over his body. Someone had obviously massacred him. "I have one other favor to ask of you Overlord: there was someone who told me about the ruins. I want you to make sure he never reaches the site."

However, Laharl shook his head, refusing the favor. "Sorry, but I have no intention of helping anyone at this point. We're looking for someone very important."

"Ah, you must be talking about that young girl demon that's always with you. The one with blonde hair."

That last response sparked Laharl's full attention. That description matched only one person: Flonne. He violently grabbed Maro by the neck and shook him wildly for an answer. "Alright, tell me where she is!"

Maro, despite the fact that Laharl's violent persuasion was weakening him even more, did his best to answer him. "She's with the young boy I was talking about…one with white wings…" Catching that last bit of info, Laharl's eyes flew wide open. There was only one person currently in the Netherworld with white wings. "…the boy's name…is Yuki…" Using that last bit of strength, Maro's eyes slowly shut. He had lost consciousness and possibly his life. Laharl, on the other hand, hanged his head low, letting his bangs cover his eyes. He had learned that the person closest to his heart was once again with an angel that deeply hated him. _Damn it…she left with Yuki…even after going through so much trouble to get that…_

Etna could easily see the pained look on his face, despite the bangs covering it. The minute the name 'Yuki' was mentioned, she knew exactly who it was. _This must be what the Prince was talking about…how Flonne-chan is now with another person…but then again… _Etna, determined to open his eyes, shook Laharl violently, trying to get him up. "Get a grip on yourself, Prince! Flonne-chan must still think you're dead! If you hurry now, you can still catch up to her!"

"Etna…" Finally getting a grip on himself, Laharl stood up right. His eyes were shinning with the glow of the red moon once again. "I don't care what I have to do to that Love Freak, even if it means nailing her down to the wall! I'll make sure we return back to the castle with her, even if it kills me! Everyone, prepare yourselves for this one!" Everyone nodded their heads in response as they watched Laharl march out of the room. They were all happy to see Laharl back to his normal self. Suddenly, the ground began to violently shake, causing everyone to tumble. Some of the vassals tried to hang onto some of the pillars nearby. "What's going on?"

Then, Pleinar sprinted towards Laharl. In her hands were three letters. "Laharl-sama, we have serious problem!"

"I know that, Pleinar!"

"It's not that!" Pleinar shouted, trying to make herself audible through the rumbling. She handed Laharl many letters. "They're all letters from different leaders and senators. The Dark Assembly is complaining about this earthquake and wants you to stop it! Overlord Raiharu (originally Rahur) of Rejectville says that the sudden earthquake have frightened his citizens! Overlord Priere of the Alternate Netherworld says the same! She says she's going to try and find out what's happening!"

"Just what I need…more complaints!"

"This last one isn't a complaint, Laharl-sama!" Pleinar handed Laharl the last letter. "Katy-chan from Celestia delivered this one. It's from Seraph Lamington!"

Despite the constant shaking, Laharl did his best to keep his balance and snatch the letter. He opened and peered into it, hoping that it wouldn't be more complaints. Luckily it didn't, for it read:

_Dear Overlord Laharl,_

_I'm sure the Netherworld is currently experiencing a sudden earthquake. Celestia is experiencing the same thing. This is because there is something very dangerous in the Netherworld has been unleashed. It is known as the Pariah Tower, a structure that has been hidden under earth of the Netherworld for many millennia. _

"So that's what those ruins were…" Laharl said to himself, now realizing what was in that site. "I thought it was all a big myth."

"C'mon Prince, keep reading!"

"Hold on!" Laharl continued to carefully read the Seraph's letter:

_Hidden within these ruins is a power that grants god-like powers to those who obtain it. If anyone reaches that power, we may not be able to contain it. That is why I am asking you to storm into the ruins and stop the one who is responsible for uncovering it. The entrance, however, is not where it was hidden. It's true entrance is in a place riddled with chaos and malice._

"He must be speaking of the Eternal Apocalypse…" If Laharl were to accept this mission, this would be his third time in a row that he would end up in that dreadful land. There was one more thing on that letter:

_However, you cannot simply enter. There is a seal guarding it. I know of someone who can help you open it, but you must work together with him or else we will not be able to stop it. I hope you will make the right choice. The man I talk of is…_

Laharl read over the last line and began to cringe. He knew very well that this wouldn't be easy, but he had no choice. If he didn't do anything now, then all would be lost. He would have to throw away his pride if he wanted to get Flonne back. "…I can't believe I have to do this…but there's no way I can let Yuki get away with this! Julietta, open a dimensional portal to the place we last visited!" A loud gasp escaped from everyone's mouths. They were bewildered to see that Laharl was willing to resort to aid…from that one person…

"Prince…you don't mean…?"

"I know, but I have no other choice. Open a portal to the Marsh of Nightmares!"

A few minutes later, Laharl and the others had found themselves within the confines of the Castle of Magnificence once again, staring at the two he had considered as his enemies since he had awaken two years ago: Mid Boss and Kirei. An awkward silence swept the room as the Overlord and the Dark Adonis continued to stare each other off, both looking into the eyes of their mortal enemies. Finally, Laharl broke the silence:

"Lemme get right to the point: I know that we're enemies and all, but this time I need your help. Something weird is going on and the Love Freak's in trouble. I have heard from someone that you two are the only ones that can help me, so what I'm trying to say is that I ask of your aid." However, Mid Boss did not respond. He continued to stare blankly at the Overlord, which irritated Laharl quite a bit. However, rather than yelling at him, Laharl got onto one knee, as if the Overlord had already admitted defeat to his enemy. His action caused everyone around him to gasp for they knew it was the last thing Laharl would do, but he motioned them to be quiet. If he wanted to stop Yuki and get Flonne back, then his only choice was to throw away all his pride and trust his former enemy. "Look, I don't care what you say anymore. You can pride yourself over being better than me for this one time, but I need your help in this matter. I beg of you…so please help me."

Then, a small chuckle escaped the Dark Adonis' mouth. Eventually the chuckle became more audible to everyone until he looked down at the humbled Overlord with curved smile on his lips. "Young Overlord, there is no need to humble yourself like this. We really were going to help you."

"Really?"

"Oui." Mid Boss replied. However, he had something to add. "On one condition."

Laharl's gratefulness began to wane when he heard that last part. Obviously, whatever Mid Boss was asking for wasn't going to be easy to grant. "What is it?"

That's when Kirei interjected into the conversation, giving Laharl his condition. "You must tell us why you want us to help you."

"I just did…"

Kirei slowly shook her head, and then, in a very serious tone, replied, "No, I'm not talking about that. We know very well that the safety of the Netherworld…no…the entire universe is important. Since Pariah Tower has appeared before us, we have to make sure that evil doesn't leak into the other worlds. However…there is something else that you are fighting for. Will you tell us what you are fighting for?"

Laharl bowed his head, his eyes downcast, allowing his bangs to plaster his face. He was very hesitant to answer Kirei's question. She was right about Laharl fighting for something else, but Laharl didn't know how to say it. However, if he didn't answer, he wouldn't be able to fulfill his duty as Overlord nor bring back that something. He took a deep breath before giving his final answer. "The one I am fighting for…is that Love Freak…the Fallen Angel Flonne…"

"And what is she to you?" Mid Boss inquired. "Young Overlord, if you are willing to sacrifice yourself to fight for her, what is your reason for it? What do you feel about her?"

Laharl kept his head low, blanketing his eyes with his bangs. Once again, this question would be difficult for him to answer, but with time running out, he had to answer it. Slowly closing his eyelids, he put his hand inside his cape and pulled out his pendant, the one that Flonne gave him before she 'died', gripping it tightly in his hands. "Flonne…is a total ditz. She's so stupid that I sometimes wonder how she's able to live so long without being sad. She's also a total Love Freak, trying her best to grant her own eternal wish: giving love to all. Sometimes, I feel so sick when I'm around her…yet…" Then, Laharl reached into his cape and pulled out something else. A dazzling light shined forth from the item in his hand as if he were holding the sun. The blinding light made it hard for anyone to see what was in his other hand. Soon, his crimson flames began to burn in hands. However, these flames were not his usual destructive flames. They were flames of passion.

"…and…yet…I'm lost without her. Once she leaves my sight, I feel like a part of me is gone. Sure, I always tell her to leave me alone, but if that were to happen, I don't know what I'd do with myself. Even if I try to push her away, she keeps coming back, trying her best to show me the meaning of love. In battle, the two of us work well together. Even though I hate the idea of teamwork, our power together is enough defeat any enemy. If it weren't for her, I would've lost to you two and Etna a long time ago. The Love Freak says that friends will always be there for you…but to me…Flonne is much more than a friend…she's someone I care for more than anyone else…and I'll do anything to get her back…" After saying all that, Laharl was lost in silence. Even he couldn't believe that those words actually came out of his mouth, not to mention everyone else. Even if it sounded corny to him, everyone couldn't tease him. This was the first time Laharl conveyed his true feelings for Flonne. Finally, the silence was broken with a hum coming from the sassy demon. There was a soft smirk on his face. He then finally said:

"Then if that is what you think of her, then we must hurry!" Everyone's eyes shot wide open. After all they have been through, Mid Boss was willing to help him. "I am very grateful to hear of your feelings of the mademoiselle. Every man carries around a beautiful flower with him, intoxicating him with a passionate fragrance that gives him nothing but strength. The mademoiselle is your flower, young Overlord, and it is the duty of the Dark Adonis to make sure that the flower is returned to its rightful owner!"

Seeing the confused looks on everyone else's faces, Kirei decided to 'translate' it for them. "What Mid Boss is trying to say is that he is willing to help anyone return the one's they care for back to them. Besides, the Netherworld is our home too. We can't that ominous energy leave the tower, so we're going to help you retrieve your Flonne-chan!" Everyone was now relieved. Though they had their doubts, it had become certain: The Dark Adonis and the Mysterious Aphrodite had now made an alliance with Overlord Laharl and his own soldiers to bring the Fallen Angel Flonne. However, there was one thing bothering Mid Boss…

"…would you stop calling moi, 'Mid Boss'…?" Mid Boss bleakly asked his esteemed partner.

"I'm so sorry, but I really do like that name, kioshii!"

"Look, can we go now…?" Laharl asked with an annoyed look on his face as he interjected into their little argument.

"Oh sure, whenever you're ready."

Before they left, Laharl turned to everyone in the room. "One more thing: After this is all over, will you forget everything I just said?"

"No!"

"I had a funny feeling you'd all say that…alright, then let's go!" And so, Laharl, now aligned with his former rivals, and his vassals prepared themselves for the worst. They had to be ready for they were facing their greatest challenge yet…

After several minutes of preparation, Laharl, Etna, Aramis, Mid Boss, Kirei, the defenders, and all their vassals entered the chaotic realm of the Eternal Apocalypse via dimensional portal. However, the place they had entered wasn't the same place they battled Setsuna several days ago. Due to the resurrection of Pariah Tower, it had lost the little stability it had left, causing many different kinds of disasters to obstruct the team. However, they were all able to brave through them, making their way towards what was in front of them: the Pariah Tower. It looked just as unstable as the current realm, making everyone believe whether or not it's legend was true. However, the energy seeped through the cracks, allowing them to sense it. The energy was beyond even the evil of most demons. It was obvious what they were up against. They had to take on Yuki and seal away the tower before this energy was released. As they neared the tower, a familiar demon was standing near its base along with her vassals.

"I see you've decided to come, Laharl."

"Heh…same with you, Priere." The two of them gazed at the tower's features. Up close, it still looked like it was going to crumble, but the creepy energy they felt was now visible to everyone, which appeared to be a mixture of black and gray. "So this is it? We're gonna have to find a way to get inside."

However, Priere slowly shook her head. "Sorry, but I've tried. There's no way inside."

"Well it looks we're going to see if the Seraph was right about Mid Boss." Etna reminded her master.

Laharl agreed. It was time to see how much aid Mid Boss and Kirei could provide. "Alright you two, tell me how we can get inside."

Mid Boss stared at the bleak structure for a minute before giving Laharl the instructions. "This tower has a seal that reads energy. In order to enter it, the tower must recognize that energy. It won't be able to read it if there isn't enough to read."

"I see, so we just have to shine our energy at the door, right?"

However, Mid Boss shook his head. It wasn't as easy as Laharl stated. "It's not that simple. In order to open it, it must read the energy of the three beings: angels, demons, and humans. If there is not enough of all three, then it will not open, and it can only read three beings."

"So in other words…unless we find three incredibly powerful beings…we cannot open it?" Etna asked Mid Boss. He and Kirei nodded. Obviously, no one had the extreme power of all three. Even if they were to get Laharl, Priere, and Seraph Lamington, currently the most powerful known beings, together, it might not work because it still required a powerful human, and the most powerful that was present human, currently Gordon, was weak compared to those three, and even if they could get Setsuna to join, he was dead. Without human blood, no one could enter the tower. Everyone began to feel that their effort to prevent the evil of the tower would be in vain. Then, Etna noticed the young Overlord stepping toward the door.

"Hey Prince, what are you doing?" A serious look masked his face and his eyes were burning with great willpower. Finally, he stopped near the door, standing on a seal. He let his bangs mask his eyes once again as he began to think about everything that was going on. Yuki was about to get away with Flonne and the great power within the tower. There was no way he was going to let that happen. _I have to throw away my pride. Even if it means…revealing… it… _Then, after his long pause, he began to charge his own demonic energy, causing his body to be engulfed in his flames. The pulse of energy began to resonate with the seal under his feet, and soon, a glowing ruby red symbol appeared. As any demon knew, the color red represented most demonic energy, so Laharl was able to at least unlock the demon part of the seal. However, everyone around him was a little skeptical for they feel he had forgotten one thing. "Prince, I know that you're determined to get Flonne-chan back, but we need the energy of all three beings! We don't have a powerful angel or human at the moment! There's no way you can open it right now!"

"Well then we'll have to improvise!" Laharl, refusing to give up, pulled out a golden chain from his scarf. It was the pendant that Flonne gave Laharl two years ago. As he continued to charge his energy, he raised the pendant into the air. Suddenly, it began to glow with a soothing blue energy, which reacted to the seal. Since it was Flonne's pendant, which was given to her by Seraph Lamington, it had been sealed with angelic powers, allowing him to briefly bring out the angelic glow. With the condition of angelic energy met, another glowing symbol appeared, this time it was a blue sapphire glow.

While it did surprise everyone that Laharl could pull off such a feat, there's no way he'd be able to get the next part. "Prince, it's amazing that you could summon angelic energy, we still need human energy. There's no way you'd be able to pull it off unless—" Suddenly, Etna noticed something floating in front of her. It looked like a feather. No, it was a feather, but it wasn't a white angel feather. It was a jet-black feather, swaying violently in the air. Out of everyone there, only Etna was able to notice it, and she was the only one who knew what it meant. _A black feather…but that can't be…if he has a black feather…that would mean he has black wings…but his wings don't even have feathers…and if he has black feathered wings…that would mean…Laharl-sama is…_

"Look! The door is glowing!" Gordon pointed to the huge door in front of them, which they all turned to see. As Gordon had observed, the door began to glow a brilliant green color. Then, it slowly became blue and finally red. Suddenly, a flash of light burst forth from the door, covering the Eternal Apocalypse in a blinding white light. The blinding light flash for only ten seconds, but after those ten seconds, a low creaking sound echoed through the air.

Then Laharl took a deep breath as he watched stared at the door in front of him. _I hope no one saw it…but it's a small price to pay if I want to get Flonne back… _Suddenly, the door made another loud creek, and, to everyone's surprise, slowly opened before Laharl. Almost everyone was caught in a great silence for they were all in total disbelief. Laharl, by himself, opened the door that required demon, angel, and human energy. After a few more minutes of silence, Laharl turned to everyone. The red moon in his eyes began to glow brightly as he began to speak. "I want to say that while I'm fighting this as part of my duty as an Overlord, this is also a personal matter. The one who unsealed this tower is an angel named Yuki." The sound of that name caused Etna, Mid Boss, and Kirei to remain completely silent. Out of everyone there, they were the only ones who knew who Yuki was. Everyone else was clueless about the angel.

"But how do you know of this?" Gordon asked him.

Knowing that it was inevitable, Laharl took one deep breath and gave him his response. "Yuki…was befriended…by Flonne…" A sharp gasp echoed through the air. Everyone finally realized the truth behind Laharl and Flonne's severed relationship: another person had entered their lives, causing distrust in Laharl and confusion within Flonne. It made perfect sense to them why Laharl would hate Flonne so much now. However, Laharl continued. "I know, I was in total disbelief myself, but somehow, I knew she was just being the Love Freak she always was. I just kept denying it…but now I'm going to go in there, get her back, and stop Yuki once and for all. This is going to be a very dangerous battle…but no matter what I say, I know that you'll all follow me. However, I don't want to bring all of you. Only a few of my vassals can enter with me. The rest has to stay here. So…who's willing to fight with me?" Everyone around him knew that this was going to be dangerous battle, but it was also a personal affair. If anyone were to get in trouble, it might throw off Laharl's concentration and they may lose. It was now or never. Then, Laharl noticed someone stepping forward, causing him to smirk. In affairs such as these, besides Flonne, she was the one person he could count. "Heh…I thought you'd be the first one to step up."

"What did you think? I was picked by your father to become your head vassal. Just as your duty is to act as the Overlord to the Netherworld, my duty as your head vassal is to aid you in your duties. Besides, we can't leave Flonne-chan behind, especially with that Yuki person running about." Without a doubt, if Flonne weren't around, Etna would always be the first to fight by his side. While her loyalty is sometimes questionable, there's no way she'd let Laharl get himself killed. That's when her vassal sprinted besides her, signaling his alignment to Etna.

"If Etna-san is going to help you, then me and my zombies will too. I owe both of you a lot anyway." This time it was Aramis.

Then, Gordon gallantly stepped forward to meet his master. "And it is my duty as well, as your Slayer."

"Getting Flonne-chan back is also important." Jennifer said as she too headed towards Laharl, determined to return his love back to him. "I'll do my best to help you get her back."

"Just as Aramis said, I owe you a lot." Kurtis, the green Prinny shuffled out of the crowd with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'd probably be working for some pig if you didn't allow me to become your vassal. Besides, it's my heroic duty as well."

"Hey, I'm the hero here!"

"Says you, Gordon…"

Before they could continue to argue, several blips and beeps echoed from the crowd. "Thursday, though a robot, does know when someone requires aid. Thursday will join the Overlord in battle."

"And so will I!" The Alternate Netherworld demons were in total shock to see Priere stepping towards Laharl, indicating she was willing to help.

"But Priere-sama—!"

"No, I owe the kid a lot for saving me from that evil spirit. Besides, I'm the Overlord of the Alternate Netherworld, so it is also my duty to go in there and stop this from happening." And so, Priere, the Alternate Overlord, had aligned herself with Laharl in an attempt to protect her world and pay back a debt she owed to him. Laharl and the others had gained yet another powerful ally.

"Heh…so the busty girl decides to join me?"

"Don't flatter yourself too much, brat…"

"We made a deal, so we're tied to you for now, Laharl-kun." Kirei said as she stepped forward with Mid Boss at her side, which shocked their vassals. "Besides, Flonne-chan is such a nice girl and is very close to your heart. It's important that we bring her back alive."

"Same with you, Young Overlord." Mid Boss passionately told his rival. "I will very upset if I were to be the victor of our rivalry by default. We must make sure that you return alive, that way when we get back I will show you how strong moi really is!"

"You'll never defeat me and you know it…" Laharl dully replied. He then turned to all the vassals behind them. It wasn't just Laharl's vassals. The other vassals belonged to either Mid Boss and Kirei or Priere, but now it didn't matter whom they belonged to. They were all fighting for the same cause. "Everyone else, we need you to stay behind. I hope you all don't mind."

Steilhang shook his head as he smiled at his master. "Laharl-sama, we understand very well that this is your own personal affair. If that is what you wish we should do, then we'll stay behind to back you up as always, right everyone?" Steilhang smiled as everyone gave a positive answer.

"I can feel something odd in there anyway." Youkai, Mid Boss' head vassal, spoke up. "If anything were to come out, then we can at least help contain the tower with my little brother's team." It was an awkward situation for Youkai, but he had no choice. He was going to work together with his little brother, Steilhang.

"With the three armies combined, we'll be able to prevent anything that comes out." Katz, Priere's head kitkat, told them.

"So, it's settled then…" With everything ready, Laharl turned towards the door. Etna, Aramis, Gordon, Jennifer, Kurtis, Thursday, Priere, Mid Boss, and Kirei all faced it along with him. All of them had a slight bit of hesitation. After all, not much is known about the tower, and that evil energy was everywhere. Charging in there could be suicide, but…they were willing to face that danger…in order to stop Yuki…in order to protect the Netherworld, Celestia, Alternate Netherworld, and Earth from the hidden evil…and…to bring back Laharl's angel, Flonne. "Alright then…LET'S GO!" At that instant, Laharl, Etna, Aramis, Gordon, Jennifer, Kurtis, Thursday, Priere, Mid Boss, and Kirei charged through the door and into the Pariah Tower. The danger they would face was unknown, but they were willing to give all they got to bring Flonne back.

Meanwhile…

"Please enter this room." Yuki pointed toward a door. He and Flonne had unleashed the seal on the tower and were now ready to take the next step of Yuki's plan.

"But…"

"Flonne, I know how saddened you are about leaving him, but if you want to protect him and the universe, I suggest walk through that door. When you come out of that room, we will be able to convince every race to unify. I'd do anything to reunite the worlds. Isn't that what you want?" Flonne slowly nodded her head for her answer. On their way to the Pariah Tower, Yuki had told her that his true wish was to reunite the worlds, just as she, Setsuna, and the Seraph wanted. She had always felt that she could trust Yuki, so she knew that with his help, they would be able to unite the worlds. "Good, now please go." And so, Flonne did as she was told and entered the room, not knowing what was going to happen her. _Finally, you and I will unite the worlds and make those fools realize their own faults… _Then, out of nowhere, a strand of his snow-white hair began to stand. His eyes began to narrow as he felt a familiar energy nearby. _Speaking of fools, it's time I show him who has the power…and the Fallen Angel… _Readying himself for battle, Yuki headed toward the source of this new energy.

Ironically, Laharl began to feel someone else's energy nearing them. He began to grit his teeth. "He's nearby…"

"Already?" Etna exasperated. "But we haven't even encountered anything yet."

"That does not matter." Mid Boss told her. "Be on your guard."

"We meet again…Overlord Laharl…" Everyone's eyes darted all over the room, searching for the source of that voice, but they could not find it.

However, Laharl somehow knew where he was. He was too sensitive to Yuki's presence. "I know where you are, you damn angel. Come out and show yourself!" Ironically, Yuki obeyed Laharl's demand and appeared before the group. Everyone but Laharl gasped. They couldn't believe that Yuki, their enemy, would actually look like this…

"Hey, I expected a villain like that archangel Vulca-what's-his-face, but this Yuki is just a young angel." Etna said, noting Yuki's features.

"Yeah, in fact, he looks pretty cute!" Jennifer added.

"Yeah, much different than I expected, that's for sure." Priere said.

Of course, Laharl couldn't stand hearing their side comments. "WOULD YOU ALL SHUT UP? WE'RE FACING A DANGEROUS ENEMY HERE!"

"We know that, but you can't deny how hot he looks."

"YOU BUSTY DITZ!"

"Oh please Laharl, it was only joke."

"Yeah, we're trying to lighten up the scene here, Prince."

"OH SHUT IT, ETNA!"

"Geez…I knew that you were a loud brat, Overlord, but had I known that everyone else here was as loud as you, I would've gotten earplugs." Yuki's last comment brought Laharl's attention back to him. The serious look on his face had returned.

"Where's Flonne…?" Laharl demanded an answer from Yuki, brandishing his sword viciously at him. His eyes narrowed as he gave Yuki a demonic glare with his fiery crimson moon eyes.

However, Yuki chuckled as he conceitedly replied, "Oh please, don't worry yourself over her. You should be worried about the one who will take your life." Suddenly, Yuki's angel wings burst forth from his back. Feathers began to fall like snow and blanket the floor in white. Soon, his serious look returned to his face as he glared back Laharl with ominous amber eyes. "Everything is in place now. I cannot allow you disrupt my plan…" Everyone watched as the two gave each other vicious looks. This was going to be it. The demon Overlord Laharl and the mysterious angel Yuki were going to duel each other for the heart of the Fallen Angel in a battle that would decide their future.

**

* * *

****Next Episode**

Etna: The Rosenqueen Circus…the happiest place in the universe.

Laharl: That's a typo…it's supposed to say scariest…

Flonne: Oh don't be so pessimistic, Laharl-san.

Etna: However, that happiness is taken away when a rival circus comes to town!

Mid Boss: If I were to make a circus, it would be magnificent, just like moi!

Laharl: Yeah, it'd be filled with freaks like you…

Mid Boss: Yeah, it'd be filled with—HEY!

Etna: But never fear, for Rosenqueen Circus has a savior: Etna, the grace from the skies. Light as a feather and cute as a button, I will bring everyone the entertainment they deserve.

Yuki: Yeah…like none…

Seraph Lamington: What is this supposed to be?

Priere: Don't ask me…

Etna: Next time on **Graceful Acrobat Etna: Cuteness Flies Through the Skies**. Are you ready to see quality entertainment?

Everyone but Etna: NO!

* * *

Yes, we're nearing the end as I've said. To answer that other question Goldamon X rose, Yuki is not another test. You can think of him as one, but he's not exactly one. However, he wants Flonne and wants to destroy Laharl. You might feel that it's starting to sound like another anime-like game. Yeah, I was running out of 'creative' ideas, so you might find this ending sounding similar to the ending of Evolution 2: Far Off Promise. Yes, people Evolution 2. I don't like Evolution anymore, but the ending to the second one was cute and sweet. Of course, there's gonna be numerous differences. However, you should've noticed that Yuki was somewhat based off of Yurka from Evolution (if you've played it that is). If you haven't played Evolution 2 (do not play Evolution 1 or Worlds if you're curious about the serious) then that's good, so it won't spoil some parts. Don't worry if you have played Evolution, cuz VERY FEW parts will be similar to it. I know that this fic lately has been mushy, long, and dramatic, but the humor in Disgaea: Hour of Darkness is genius. Nippon Ichi and Harada-san can work humor into anything. I, unfortunately, can't, so all I can do is write dramatically for this chapter. Then again, 2 of my favorite authors write more serious fics. As RichaCo's question about being part of the C2 staff, wait until Bella (if she becomes an author), Kizzi-chan, and Illuminet join. I don't join unless there are other people already there (yeah, I know. I'm HM) Also Bella, I was considering on writing a fic about Laharl and Zeta awhile back where Zeta looks for another Netherworld since he destroys it AGAIN, and fights Laharl for it. However, I haven't heard much of Phantom Kingdom nor have I played it (I'm still trying to defeat Baal in Disgaea), so no, not at this time. And yes people, if this was really a Disgaea sequel, then by this point in the game, you would've gotten Mid Boss, Kirei, and Priere as playable characters. Lucky you! 

Yuki has revealed himself to everyone, Flonne is missing, and now Laharl and Yuki must face each other in a duel to the death. By the end of the battle, only one of them will leave with the Fallen Angel. Will Laharl get Flonne back or will it be Yuki that triumphs? Will we finally learn Yuki's true intentions? Find out next time.


End file.
